


Lost Through Time

by icestar663



Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Fan Characters, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-06-01
Updated: 2016-09-06
Packaged: 2018-07-11 16:31:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 54,007
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7060465
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/icestar663/pseuds/icestar663
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Eighteen year old Hanna MacKay is on her way home from a Doctor Who marathon with her friends when she falls through a split in Space and Time and finds herself in the Dalek Asylum.<br/>With nowhere else to go, she continues to travel with the Doctor and his companions through series 7, 8 and 9.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Asylum of the Daleks - Part 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is a fic that has been a work in progress for many years. Originally posted on ff.net I'm gradually migrating it over here here.

Hanna MacKay was ordinary. Nothing special, nothing extraordinary. She was just a normal girl. It was three days after her eighteen birthday, in fact. She had spent the last three days staying with a friend and now she was walking home. Her rucksack was heavy, filled with DVDs. They were almost all Doctor Who. It was her one obsession. Her collection was the one thing that made her stand out from anyone else and at that moment it was all safely stowed away in her rucksack. She felt good. Happy. For autumn time the weather was mild though a light breeze pulled on her dark red hair. She smiled as she looked across the moorland that was her home. Although it was a long way to walk into the nearest village she loved living where she did, the house that she shared with her dad and younger brother backed on to the rolling hills and moors of Scotland.

She climbed over a stile and jumped down the other side, losing her footing slightly and stumbling. She staggered forwards a few steps and the ground seemed to give way beneath her. She fell forwards, closing her eyes tightly as she tumbled and rolled downwards, the moorlands spinning in front of her eyes had made her feel sick. All she could hear was her own pulse in her ears. Suddenly she stopped, the breath being knocked out of her as she hit hard ground. She couldn't smell the moorland any more, which confused her. Slowly she opened her eyes, expecting to see the bright sky above her but instead she was met by a dark ceiling. The ground beneath her wasn't grass any more but instead dark, smooth metal. She groaned and rubbed her head, getting to her feet before properly looking around and having to stifle a shriek of shock as she found herself face to face with a Dalek. She watched it warily for a moment but when it didn't react she started to look around again, seeing more shapes of motionless Daleks in the gloom. She stepped forward to examine the one closest to her but refrained from touching it. She felt sick and confused, her head spinning as she tried to figure out how she had gone from a field not far from her home to somewhere inside that was full of Daleks. She was instinctively wary even though there was a part of her – the part that lived in the world of the DVDs that were still in her backpack – that just wanted to jump and squeal in excitement. This was a Dalek in front of her. She had no idea where she was or why but right in front of her was a completely motionless Dalek.

She flinched at a sudden burst of light and turned around just in time to see a figure hit the ground not far from where she was standing. Cautiously she crept towards it, glancing around at the Daleks before crouching down beside the figure. It was a young man. Hanna frowned for a moment before her eyes widened and she stepped back with a squeak of glee. She pulled the bag off her back and tugged it open, getting out a container of DVDs and flicking through it. She looked from the discs inside to the unconscious man in front of her. Though judging by the odd green goo that was dripping on his face he wouldn't be unconscious for much longer. In fact even as she stared at him with her mouth open and eyes wide he started to stir. With a gasp of panic he scrambled to his feet and stared at her.

"Uh... who are you?" He asked, looking around. "Where's Amy?"

Hanna grinned at him, "I'm Hanna. Rosehanna MacKay. And you... oh my God, you're Arthur Darville!"

"No... I'm not." He looked at her in confusion. "I'm Rory Williams. How did you even get here? How long have you been here?"

"Oh, sorry Rory!" She acted like it didn't faze her at all that she had got it wrong but inside her head was reeling. This was Rory Williams. Actually Rory Williams. If it was the actor he would have at least seemed to recognise the name but he hadn't. So presumably this was the real deal. But that was absolutely impossible. She stuffed the DVDs quickly back into her bag and did up the zip before securing the rucksack firmly onto her back again. "I haven't been here long. But this... Oh my God, this must be the Dalek Asylum!"

"Yeah, I'm sorry... have you seen Amy and the Doctor?" He asked her.

"Nope. I've been here all of five minutes. Got here just before you did. Which quite frankly is rather odd. I was in Scotland five minutes ago!"

He shook his head slightly and took a deep breath, "Right, we need to find them. The Doctor might be able to help you with whatever is going on... he's my friend. Well, sort of friend. I travel with him."

"Oh, I know all about the Doctor. The Doctor, Amy Pond and Rory Williams, travelling through all of time and space together. Seeing the sights, fighting monsters. That's the deal, right? Speaking of which, don't you have a job to do here? Or do you get Daleks to fling you at Asylums for fun?"

What she was saying as well as the speed in which she was saying it made Rory decide that the best idea would probably be to keep the strange Scottish girl with him, at least until they could find the others again and figure out what was going to happen to her. "Do you have one of these wristantiDalek thingies?" He asked her. "That... sounded stupid."

"Nah, it didn't. And no I don't. So really we better be getting on with finding the others. Oh! By the way, I didn't think that your question on the Dalek ship was stupid either. The colour of Dalek casings often is a sign of rank. So asking what colour they would be sounds pretty logical to me."

"Um... thanks? How did you know about that?"

"Magic." She laughed, "I'll explain it to you later if the Doctor thinks it'd be a good idea to. Come on, we better find them before I end up being accidentally Dalekified."

He nodded and turned around, "So where are we?"

She looked around, "Somewhere inside the asylum. I don't know exactly where. Don't touch it!" She added just too late as Rory hesitantly pushed one of the Daleks and it rolled backwards.

He turned to her and then snapped on his torch, sweeping the beam around the room full of Daleks, the dust in the air visible in the light. "Sorry." He half whispered. "They seem to be dead."

"Or dormant." She added ominously, "They could just be dormant from being down here for so long."

He pulled a face, "Possibly, yes. Come on..."

Slowly the pair of them made their way forwards, moving cautiously between all the Daleks. Hanna let out a squeak of excitement, "That's a Special Weapons Dalek!" She pointed at one with no sucker arm, just one massive gun. She looked over at Rory who just raised an eyebrow at her, "Okay, so it's supposed to be scary. But they're all dormant and isn't it gorgeous!" She took a step forwards and circled the Special Weapon Dalek, her eyes shining with unconstrained glee.

Rory sighed, stepping towards a Dalek and examining it, putting a hand on the eye stalk and pulling the domed head around so he could see the other side of it. He took a step back as the head swung back around to its original position.

Hanna turned and saw what he was doing, "Rory, I told you not to touch the Daleks!" She exclaimed.

"Ah..." He turned his head to face her, taking a step back and freezing as his foot knocked against some sort of pipe on the floor and it clattered on the cold metal.

"Don't move." She hissed as the blue light in the Dalek's eye stalk turned on. "Just don't move. Don't do or touch anything." She flinched slightly as with a painful metal screeching the Dalek turned its head to face Rory. Alerted by the noise, more Daleks started to reactivate. Hanna stared at them, her excitement and glee turning instantly into cold fear, "I've changed my mind. Rory, run."

"What?" He looked at her, "But you just said..."

"I know what I just said...!" She snapped, "But there are Daleks in here waking up and who knows how many there are. Let's just get the hell out of here now...!"

"EggEggEggEggEggs..." The monotonous Dalek voice made both of them turn to face it.

"Eggs?" Rory looked around and frowned, "What?"

The Dalek kept repeating 'Eggs' as if stuck.

"You mean those things?" Rory asked, pointing at the sensor globes.

"No, it doesn't mean those things. It means the beginning of a Dalek's favourite word. It's not 'Eggs's it's..."

"Extermimate...!" A Dalek intoned slowly, cutting her off.

"Exactly. That! They're waking up, run!" She grabbed Rory's hand and started to run, past all the waking up Daleks and dragging Rory behind her. She could hear the sound of Dalek gunfire behind her and flinched instinctively.

"The door at the end, run for it!" A disembodied voice shouted over the PA system and Hanna didn't need telling twice. She threw herself towards the door, scrambling forwards and tripping, skidding underneath it and turning to make sure Rory was there as the door slammed shut behind them.

She giggled. She just couldn't help it, leaning against the wall and closing her eyes.

"What... what?" Rory glanced at her, panting from fear and the sudden running.

"So. Anyway." The voice over the PA spoke again. "I'm Oswin. What do I call you two?"

"I... I can't... remember..." Rory stared at the ground as he struggled to think.

Hanna looked up at the ceiling, "I'm Hanna. Rosehanna MacKay. And he's Rory Williams."

"Lovely name, Rory." You could hear the smile in Oswin's voice, "First boy I ever fancied was called Rory. Actually, she was called Nina." She added as an afterthought. "I was going through a phase. Just flirting to keep you cheerful."

"I can keep him cheerful myself, thanks," Hanna grinned, "But good to meet you, Oswin. Well, sort of meet you."

"Yeah, and you Hanna." Oswin's voice replied.

They were cut off by a banging and muffled shouts of 'Exterminate.' Rory and Hanna exchanged a glance before starting to walk down the corridor. Rory glanced into a camera and said softly, "Any time you want to start flirting again is fine by me."

"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?" Hanna laughed and playfully hit him on the arm, "You saying that I'm not fun company? Or that I won't help keep you distracted from the Daleks. That's so mean!"

He looked at her, "You're also kind of scary. No offence."

She laughed, "Come on, let's get going. Standing around here talking won't get the baby bathed as they say. Though I don't know who 'they' are."

"Right..." He started to walk, the beam from his torch cutting through the gloom.

"Rory..." Hanna said quietly after a moment.

"Hmm?" He turned his head slightly so he could see her.

"I... I'm glad that if I'm here then I'm with you. I'm kind of frightened..." She admitted softly.

"Thanks, I guess. The Doctor would be better at things than me though."

"No, he... he's so very alien. Not good at all the human feelings and stuff. I'm really scared, the nanogenes..."

"You'll be fine. We'll find the Doctor and get out of here. Everything will be fine."

"I hope so..." she mumbled.

"Hey there Binky Boy." Oswin's voice came over the PA again.

"If it's a straight choice, I prefer Nina." Rory replied automatically.

"Who says I was talking to you?" Oswin replied, "Oh this is fun though. The nose and the chin. You two could fence."

"I'd pay to see that." Hanna chimed in.

"There's a door behind you." Oswin continued. "In there, quickly." The door opened and Rory and Hanna moved inside. It instantly closed behind them. "You're safe for now. Pop your shirt off, quick as you like."

"Why?" Rory asked.

"Does there have to be a reason? And again, I could be talking to either of you. You doing all right there, Hanna?"

Hanna laughed softly, "I'm doing just fine thanks, Oswin. All fine and dandy. If not slightly scared. And just a tad terrified. But I'm fine. We'll find the Doctor and I'll be fine. All fine..." She took a deep breath and grinned, "Everything is awesome." She hitched her bag up, tightening the straps against her back.

"What is that in your bag, Hanna? If you don't mind my asking?" Rory looked at Hanna.

"Oh, mostly DVDs. But also a couple of changes of clothes. I've been staying with a friend for a few days." She smiled at him, "Well, staying with a group of friends. It was my birthday."

"Oh... well happy birthday." He looked around, "Where now?"

"Oswin's getting the Doctor to us. So it'll be fine for us to hang around here until she gives us more instructions."

"You know her? Trust her?"

"Um... I don't entirely know her, no... more, I've watched her. No, that sounds creepy. This is a TV show..." She closed her eyes, slumping down on a small step and leaning on her knees. She felt oddly at peace, serene.

"Hanna?" Rory crouched down in front of her, "Are you okay?"

She looked up, "Yeah, everything's fine. I don't know what all the fuss is around here though. It seems fine to me."

"No..." He groaned softly as he thought, "This must be something to do with the Nanocloud thing. Hanna, we're in the Dalek asylum and waiting for the Doctor. You're going to be fine though. I promise."

"How? How can you promise that? You know nothing about what's going to happen here next! Around about now Amy is suffering in the exact same way I am! She's becoming more like a Dalek and currently there is nothing the Doctor can do about it. So instead of worrying about me, why don't you worry about her instead! As she's the person you actually know!"

"Hanna, please calm down. Everything's going to be fine. The Doctor will be here soon and he'll fix everything. It's kind of what he does."

Hanna took a deep breath, "Yeah... Yeah it is... He's amazing like that... Rory, I'm scared."

"I know. And you don't have to be. But if you're scared then at least you're not a Dalek."

She smiled weakly, "Yeah, scared isn't Dalek. So it's okay to be scared." She yelped as close by there was a big explosion and the ground beneath them shook, dust falling from the ceiling.

"Oswin, what was that? That was close." Rory looked around.

"It was the Doctor," Hanna replied in the place of the other woman, "set a Dalek to self destruct." She got to her feet, determined if not slightly shaky. "Come on." She grabbed his arm and pulled him in the direction of the explosion until they found a group of dead Daleks and broken casings.

Rory looked around, "Oswin! What happened? Who killed all the Daleks?"

"I told you." Hanna insisted, "It was the Doctor. Just because you don't know me doesn't mean I don't know what I'm talking about. You need to listen to me!"

"Okay, I'm sorry I just expected him to maybe stick around after he'd blown up a group of Daleks like this."

Hanna just pointed in the direction of the Doctor who was walking towards them, his face smudged with dirt and Amy's unconscious form held in his arms. He said nothing but the group of them walked back to the room where Hanna and Rory had come from.


	2. Asylum of the Daleks - Part 2

“Will sleeping help her?” Rory asked the Doctor as he lay Amy down in the middle of the teleporter. “Will it slow down the process?”  
“You better hope so.” Oswin answered for him, “Because pretty soon she's going to try to kill you. As will your Hanna.”  
The Doctor looked over to the other girl who was sitting apart from the group, curled over with her head in her hands, “Hanna?” He ventured, taking a step towards her.  
“Stay away from me.” The girl muttered, “Clara's right, I'm being Dalekified. And I don't want to hurt anyone. So just stay away from me, Doctor.”  
“Clara? Who's Clara?” The Doctor asked, crouching beside her.  
“Sorry... Oswin...” She looked up at him, “Doctor, my head hurts. I know I should care about what happens to all of you but I don't. I-I don't want to become a Dalek...”  
He hushed her, “You won't. I'll get you out of here as soon as possible and get you safe and sound back home. This will all have been like a dream.”  
“But I don't know how I got here... this... this isn't supposed to be real...!” there was a definite note of panic in her voice.  
“I'll fix it, Hanna. I promise you, I'll fix it. If you know anything about me then you know that's what I do. But we don't have any time to waste.”  
She smiled slightly, “I know. You're the Doctor. You heal people and places.” She glanced over at Amy and Rory, giggling slightly as Amy slapped her ex-husband.  
“Same old Amy.” The Doctor laughed slightly.  
“Do you know how you make someone into a Dalek?” Oswin asked, still watching them. “Subtract love, add anger. Don't they both seem a bit too angry to you?”  
“Well, somebody's never been to Scotland.” Amy and Hanna said simultaneously, causing Hanna to giggle softly again.  
“What about you though, Oswin? How come you're okay?” The Doctor looked towards the camera. “Why hasn't the nanocloud converted you?”  
“I mentioned the genius thing, yeah? Shielded in here.”  
“No you're not.” Hanna muttered, “You're really damn not shielded.”  
“Hmm.” The Doctor looked contemplative for a moment, “Now, this place. The Daleks said it was fully automated. But look at it. It's a wreck.”  
“Well, I've had nearly a year to mess with them. And not a lot else to do.” Oswin replied.  
“A junior entertainment manager hiding out in a wrecked ship, hacking the security systems of the most advanced warrior race the universe has ever seen.”  
“From the inside.” Hanna added quietly, her fists clenched and her deep brown eyes fixed on the floor between her feet.  
“But, you know what really gets me about you, Oswin?” The Doctor continued as if he hadn't heard her. “The soufflés. Where do you get the milk for the soufflés?” He turned to the others, “Seriously is no one else wondering about that?”  
“No! Frankly, no. Twice.” Rory replied.  
“I already know the answer...” Hanna murmured, not taking her gaze from the ground.  
“So, Doctor.” Oswin turned their attention back to her. “I've been looking you up. You're all over the database. Why do the Daleks call you the Predator?”  
“I'm not a predator. I'm just a man with a plan.” The Doctor said into the camera, looking mildly smug.  
“You've got a plan?”  
“We're all ears?” Rory added.  
“Or chins. Or noses.” Hanna finished bitterly.  
“I'm glad someone decided to pick that nose joke off.” Amy looked over at Hanna and smiled.  
The Doctor continued with his verbal flow of thoughts, “In no particular order we need to neutralise all the Daleks in this asylum, rescue Oswin from the wreckage, escape from this planet and, fix Amy and Rory's marriage.”  
“Okay, I'm counting three lost causes, anyone else?” Amy looked around.  
“I'm counting one. But I know how all this is supposed to work out. So I don't think I should be included in this pool.” Hanna stretched, finally looking over at them.  
“Oswin, there's a Dalek ship in orbit.” The Doctor looked towards the camera again.  
“Yeah, got it on the sensors.” Oswin confirmed.  
“The asylum has a force field, the Daleks upstairs are waiting for me to turn it off. As soon as I do, they'll burn this whole world and us with it. So, Oswin, my question is this, how fast can you drop the force field?” He jumped down the step and went right up to the camera as he spoke.  
“Pretty fast.” Oswin replied, though her confusion showed in her voice. “But why would I?”  
“Because this is a teleport, am I right, Oswin?”  
“You're right.” Hanna interjected from where she was lying, “Not that anyone would listen to me about it anyway. I'm just the dumb person in the corner who knows how this all ends and is becoming more Dalek and more freaked out by the second!!”  
“It's internal use only.” Oswin said, still confused.  
The Doctor clicked his fingers and spun around, pointing at Hanna, “First, don't panic. I'm going to get you out of here and you'll be fine. Second, I can boost the power you know, once the force field is down. And we can use this to beam us right off this planet.”  
“But you said when the force field is down, the Daleks will blow us up.” Rory pointed out the obvious flaw in the Doctor's plan.  
“We'll have to be quick, yes.” The Doctor agreed.  
“Fine, we'll be quick, but where do we beam to?”  
“Dalek ship.” Hanna said. “Closest place. Logical really, it's the only place that would be in range of the teleport. And we all know what's on the Dalek ship, don't we children?”  
“Where they'd exterminate us on the spot.” Amy pointed out.  
“Okay, so we don't all know what's on the Dalek ship. Well done guys, good working out the Doctor's plan. I think not.” Hanna muttered, staring up at the ceiling.  
“So this is the kind of escape plan where you survive about four seconds longer?” Rory asked, sighing.  
“What's wrong with four seconds? You can do loads in four seconds.” The Doctor said seriously before turning away, “Oswin, how fast can you drop the force field?”  
“I can do it from here.” The girl confirmed, “As soon as you come and get me.”  
“Oh yeah, because that will work out fantastically.” Hanna muttered.  
“Hey, what's got your knickers in a twist?” Amy asked Hanna, starting to get annoyed with the younger girl.  
“In case you hadn't noticed, I'M TURNING INTO A DALEK!!” Hanna yelled, sitting up and spinning around to face her in one swift movement. “And there's absolutely nothing that any of you can do about it!!”  
“What about a nano-wrist-thingy?” Rory asked.  
“There aren't any spare. All in use. None left for little Rosehanna. Which is probably for the best because you're all supposed to be here and I'm not...!”  
“Hanna, you'll be fine. I promise you that everything is going to be just fine. You just have to trust me. Oswin, just drop the force field and come to us.” The Doctor glanced at Hanna before turning his gaze to Rory and added, “Just keep an eye on her, try to keep her calm.”  
“There's enough power in the teleport for one go.” Oswin said, “Why would you wait for me, especially when your friend so desperately needs to get out of here.”  
“Why wouldn't I?” The Doctor answered.  
“No idea.” Oswin's voice lightened, “Never met you. I'm sending you a map so you can come get me.”  
“This place is crawling with Daleks.” Rory pointed out.  
“Yeah, kind of why I'm anxious to leave.” Oswin replied. “Come up and see me sometime.”  
Rory looked torn for a moment, wanting to talk to the Doctor but not wanting to leave the girls. After a moment's hesitation he leaned over the top of the computer terminal the Doctor was at, “So... are we going to go get her?”  
“I don't think that we have a choice.” The Doctor responded, “Look after the others, Rory.” He finished what he was doing and went back over to the teleport pad, “Right, as soon as the force field is down the Daleks will attack. If it gets too explodey-wodey in here, you go without me, okay?”  
“And leave you to die?” Rory replied, looking seriously at him as he followed.  
“You're the one beaming up to a Dalek ship to get exterminated.” The Doctor pointed out, grinning childishly at him before ducking away.  
“Fair point. Love this plan.” Rory sighed, “What about Amy? And Hanna?”  
“Keep her remembering. Keep her focused. That'll hold back the conversion.” The Doctor replied from underneath the teleport pad.  
“What do I do?” Amy asked.  
“Stop being such a moron?” Hanna suggested.  
The Doctor reappeared from under the pad, “You heard what she said. They're subtracting love. Don't let them.”  
Hanna rolled her eyes and lay down on the teleport pad again as the Doctor left the room at a run, “Well this is super fun.” She muttered.  
Rory sighed and started to pace around the room, thinking. “Okay, look at me.” He said eventually to Amy.  
“Here we go...” Hanna muttered, “If you need me to help at all while you fix your marriage I'll be in the corner turning into a Dalek.”  
“I'm going to be logical. Cold and logical, okay?” Rory continued after a worried glance at her. “For all of our sakes, for all of us. I'm going to take this off my wrist and put it on yours.” His gaze was on Hanna, not Amy.  
“Why? Then it'll just start converting you. That's no better.” Amy looked up at him.  
“Yeah, but it'll buy us time because it will take longer with me.” He explained.  
“Sorry, what?” Amy looked confused.  
“It subtracts love. That's what she said. And by how this is effecting her, she doesn't have a lot of time left. She's been exposed to this longer than any of us.”  
“What's that got to do with any of it? What does that even mean?” Amy pressed. “And why would you give it to her and not to me?”  
“Because you've already got one.” Hanna snapped, “The Doctor gave you his.”  
“But he said he's being cold and logical because this Dalek thing subtracts love. I want to know what he means.”  
Rory sighed slightly, “It's just arithmetic. It'll take longer with me because, well we both know... we've both always known that...” He hesitated.  
“What, you think that you have more love than me?” Amy kept looking at him.  
“Amy, basic fact of our relationship is that I love you more than you love me. Which today is good news because it might just save all our lives.” Rory couldn't keep the bitterness out of his voice as he spoke.  
“How can you say that?” Amy asked.  
“Two thousand years waiting for you outside a box. Saying it because it's true.” He stepped away from her, “And you know it's true.”  
Amy slapped Rory as Hanna muttered, “Well he's got a point.”  
“Don't you dare say that to me. Don't you ever dare.” Amy's voice was choked with tears.  
Rory spun around to face her, “Amy, you kicked me out!”  
“You want kids!” Amy snapped back. “You have always wanted kids. Ever since you were a kid!” She sniffed, trying and failing to not sob. “And I can't have them.”  
“I know...” Rory moved towards her again.  
“Whatever they did to me at Demons Run... I can't ever give you children.” Amy paused for a moment to compose herself, not looking at him. “I didn't kick you out... I gave you up.”  
“Bullshit!” Hanna snapped, surging to her feet and turning to face them, “That is absolute bullshit! Of course he loves you more! He waited for two thousand years outside a box for you! And don't you dare say that it doesn't matter because it does! He was awake and conscious the whole time but for you it passed in the blink of an eye! He has loved you unconditionally pretty much for as long as you've known each other but all you have ever done is treat him like a spare part! You were marrying him and yet on your wedding night you had never told him that you loved him!! You weren't capable of waiting forty years for him and yes I know that you were ageing but so what! You knew that it would be Rory who would have to come for you yet you couldn't!” She took a step towards them.  
“I don't remember any of that, it didn't happen for me.” Amy retorted.  
“But it still happened for him! Did he ever tell you what he said when he found the older version of you?” She glanced at Rory, knowing from both of their expressions that he hadn't, “No, of course he didn't. He'd want to spare your feelings but quite frankly, I don't give a toss about your feelings! He told you that you growing old didn't mean anything to him. He told you that all he cared about when he saw you old is that you hadn't been able to grow old together. So how in all the damn universe could you EVER think that he would have thought of you any differently just because you can't have kids. Have you never heard of adoption? And did he tell you that he can remember it? That he remembers every second of sitting outside that box. He didn't have to do it, you would have been perfectly safe on your own but he waited anyway. Because you were ever so slightly more safe with him there. He single-handedly dragged the Pandorica out of a burning building. He was made of plastic and walked through fire for you! And honestly, I cannot see why. He deserves someone who appreciates and loves him but he settles with just being needed by you. As long as you need him around he is happy. And yet somehow you're too high and mighty to see that!”  
She took a deep breath and seemed to be about to say more when Rory took the opportunity to clip the nanoblocker around her wrist. Hanna just looked at him for a moment before meeting Amy's gaze, “It needed to be said. And you needed to hear it.” She said simply before turning and walking away, sitting on the far side of the teleport pad with her head in her hands.  
Amy watched her go before catching sight of one of the screens, showing the Doctor walking away and straightening his bow tie.  
“Why didn't the Doctor tell us that he gave you his?” Rory asked Amy, running a hand through his hair.  
She didn't reply straight away, “It was on his list.” She said quietly.  
Rory glanced at her, “He wanted to fix our marriage. So he lied to us. To push us together again.”  
Hanna looked up and was about to say something when the first blast rocked the ground, “It's started. The force field is down. Oh run.” She jumped to her feet, “Run you clever boy. And remember!” She looked over at Rory and Amy.  
“How long can we wait?” Rory asked, looking from Amy to Hanna and back.  
“The rest of our lives.” Amy replied softly.  
The pair of them looked at each other hesitantly for a moment. Just long enough for Hanna to get bored, “Oh just kiss already!” She shouted, “We're waiting for the Doctor regardless!”  
Amy laughed and pulled Rory in, kissing him. They seemed suddenly oblivious to the explosions happening around them.  
“Right! Let's go!”  
Hanna looked around as the door opened and the Doctor ran through it, “You did it!” She laughed, “And I'm sorry about Oswin. I really am. But you'll meet her again someday, I'm sure.” She snatched the teleport controls from Rory's hands and glanced around to make sure they were all on the pad before activating them. Instantly she felt the bottom seem to fall out of her stomach, and she closed her eyes tightly against the odd sensation of weightlessness that she experienced for a moment before she could once again feel solid ground beneath her feet. Instead of the sounds of creaking metal from the Dalek asylum now she could hear a faint organic thrumming noise, the floor beneath her felt like it was vibrating slightly. She took a deep breath before opening her eyes and seeing the inside of the TARDIS for the first time.  
The ship was more beautiful that she could have ever imagined, seeing the deep orange interior with the stairs going off in all different directions on the TV was nothing compared to actually being inside the ship.  
“So.” The Doctor smiled at her, “What do you think?”  
“She's beautiful...” Hanna breathed, “I never imagined... she's just gorgeous!” She bounded over to the console and gently ran her fingers over a few of the buttons, feeling the controls hum expectantly at her touch.  
The Doctor joined her and grinned before flipping a switch and looking towards a screen on the far wall which showed the inside of the Dalek Parliament ship, “You know, you guys really should have seen this coming! The thing about me and teleports is that I've got a good aim. Pinpoint accurate in fact. Or, to put it another way...” he ran over to the door and opened it, stepping outside, “Suckers!”  
Hanna laughed and followed him, wanting to see the Dalek ship for herself, though she stayed in the doorway.  
“Identify yourself.” A Dalek ordered.  
“Identify. Identify!” Other Daleks chorused.  
“It's me. You know me, the Doctor. The oncoming storm. The Predator.” The Doctor looked confused.  
“Titles are not meaningful in this context.” The Dalek woman, Darla said.  
“Oh, good old Oswin!” Hanna laughed, “They don't remember you!”  
“Doctor Who?” Darla asked.  
“Doctor who?” More Daleks took up the chant until the whole ship was ringing with the question.  
“Fellas, you're never going to stop asking.” The Doctor said to the nearest Daleks before going back inside the ship, Hanna stepping back to let him in. “And now.” He turned to her as the door closed, “What do we do about you?”  
She leaned against the railing, “Why don't we drop Amy and Rory home? Then we can talk properly. I've got some stuff I think I should show you.”  
He nodded, “Right, Ponds. Home.” He went over to the console and hit the controls. “Rory, why don't you show our new friend here where she can put her bag?”  
Hanna bounced slightly, “Sure. Come on, Rory!” She spun around and bounded up one of the sets of stairs, disappearing into the corridor beyond. Rory shrugged and followed her.  
“I presume you want a bedroom, then? To put your stuff.” He asked her as he caught up.  
“Yeah, that'd be awesome. Though, I don't know if I'll be able to stay. Not that I've got anywhere else to go though.”  
“Well, I'm sure the Doctor will let you stay. You helped a lot.”  
“When I wasn't a Dalek.” She smiled at him.  
“How about this room?” He stopped outside one in what looked like a slightly older area of the TARDIS and opened it. One side of the room was covered in roundels like the old TARDIS console room used to have and there was a clear desk against the wall. The bed had deep blue sheets on.  
Hanna grinned, “It's awesome. Perfect. She went over and dumped her rucksack onto the bed, stretching as her shoulders were relieved of the weight. Grinning she opened the bag and pulled out a couple of DVD cases, “Oh that's better! Come on, let's get back!” She left the room and started to walk, looking around with wide, curious eyes.  
The TARDIS landed almost as soon as they returned and Hanna waved goodbye to Amy and Rory from where she was perched on the railings. Once they had taken off again the Doctor turned to her.  
“So, who exactly are you?” He asked.  
“Hanna.” she replied, “Rosehanna MacKay. I'm human, from Scotland. It's supposed to be September 8th 2014. I'm eighteen years old and this is supposed to just be a TV show. My favourite TV show.” She held out the DVD boxes that she had hidden in the pouch of her hoodie. “I don't know how I ended up in the Asylum...” She sighed softly.  
He took the DVD boxes and examined them, “Very strange.” He pulled out the sonic and pointed it at her for a moment before looking at it, “You're soaked in rift particles. But I don't know how you got here. It's a mystery. But the TARDIS seems to like you so welcome aboard.” He grinned at her, “I think you've proved yourself.”  
She squeaked in excitement, “Oh awesome! Thank you! I won't let you down, Doctor! I promise I won't!” She hugged him quickly before picking up her DVDs again. “The only thing is... I have future knowledge. Some of these DVDs are things from your future... I don't want to change things too much.”  
“Then don't. I can't just leave you.” He smiled at her, “And it'll be nice to have some company.”  
She nodded, grinning back, “Cool. Awesome. Well, I better go unpack or something. Maybe take a shower, I'm sure I'll find a bathroom sooner or later!” She laughed and dashed from the room, leaving him alone in the console room to think.  
He grinned after a moment, “Doctor Who...” he murmured softly. “Doctor Who. Doctor... Who!” He laughed and spun around, flicking switches and pressing buttons on the console, setting them a new destination.


	3. Dinosaurs on a Spaceship - Part 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So while I'm resubmitting chapters that have been on my ff.net account for years, I'm going to be pretty fast with updates. There's quite a bit to get through and a lot more to write

Hanna almost ran to the TARDIS, the Doctor and Queen Nefertiti in pursuit. She opened the door and went inside, turning just as it closed behind her. She leaned against it and grinned as the Doctor struggled to open it again, allowing Nefertiti to catch up with him.  
“Oh for goodness sake, Doctor!” She called through the door over the top of the conversation, “I know we just saved this place from giant weapon-bearing locusts but seriously! We've got places to go, people to see, breakfast to eat! Speaking of which, I'm starving! And covered in locust goo!” She looked down at her clothes which were splattered with something she would really rather not identify. “This was my favourite hoodie as well. If the stains don't come out I will not be happy!”  
“Oh, I'll get you a new one!” He called back, “Just let me-” he was cut off by the sound of a clown horn. “Sorry, I've got it set to Temporal News.” He explained to Nefertiti as he got the psychic paper out of his jacket pocket, “Ooh, that's interesting.”  
Hanna moved away from the door, leaving the Doctor and Nefertiti to their conversation and wandering off in search of the nearest bathroom. She'd been living in the TARDIS for almost a month now but still managed to frequently get herself lost, although she always found something interesting. She had a theory that the TARDIS was changing the corridors around on purpose while she wasn't looking so that she could find new and exciting things. Right now though she just wanted to have a shower and wash her clothes before they ended up being thrown into the next adventure. Apparently today she was lucky and she found her way to the wardrobe to pick up a new set of clothes and as she left a door was hanging ajar with an empty shower room just visible.  
“Thanks.” She whispered to the TARDIS as she went inside, stretching.  
Half an hour later she emerged, clean and dressed. Her dark red hair was spiked up and still slightly damp. Instead of her dark purple hoodie that she liked to wear she had found a pair of skinny purple jeans – with pockets – and a long sleeved white t-shirt. She also had a deep brown bomber jacket that she'd dug out of the wardrobe over one arm as she walked down the corridors back to the console room. The Doctor and Nefertiti were there, the Doctor trying to subtly avoid her advances on him.

 

“Ship the size of Canada coming at Earth very fast...” The Doctor mused. Hanna wasn't listening though, not until he mentioned her, “What do you think, Hanna?”  
“Huh?” She looked up, “Dunno. Could be anything. Maybe we should go up there and take a look. Once we've picked up a few friends along the way.”  
“Ah yes, I know someone who would love a look at it. And the Ponds. We mustn't forget the Ponds, haven't seen them in ages.” The Doctor rambled, leaning on Nefertiti's shoulder.  
Hanna perked up instantly, an adventure with Amy and Rory would mean one that she knew. As much as the locusts had been fun it has also been not just a little bit terrifying. “Doctor, you're riffing. Stop it.”  
He turned to her, looking mildly offended, “Oh okay, I see how it is. You don't like me riffing. Well, fine.”  
“Can you communicate with this craft?” Nefertiti asked the soldier.  
“She's with me,” The Doctor said, “Good question, Nefi.”  
“No.” Indira responded, “No response on any channel, in any recognised language.”  
“That'll be because they're dinosaurs.” Hanna grinned, “Oh this is going to be awesome!”  
The soldier glanced at her before continuing, “If it comes within 10,000 kilometres of Earth, we send up missiles.”  
“Oh, Indira.” The Doctor looked at the woman, “I liked you before you said missiles. How long until the ship gets that close?”  
“Six hours nineteen minutes.” She replied.  
“Better get going then.” Hanna grinned, “We need to pick up your mate and get the Ponds before we can get to work on saving the spaceship full of dinosaurs.”  
The Doctor turned to her, “You keep saying there are dinosaurs but really, how would you know?”  
“I told you. Future knowledge of some of your adventures.”  
“How much of my future?” He asked.  
“Too much.” She smiled sadly at him, “Far too much.” Suddenly her demeanour changed, “Come on, let's shift our arses! To the TARDIS!” She turned on her heel and started to walk away, getting to the time machine and unlocking the door. By the time the Doctor and Nefertiti caught up with her she was perched in her usual place on the railings. She found she liked to sit there so that she could see most of what was going on in the console room at once.

 

“Now, just let me do the talking, okay?” The Doctor told the two women following him. The were heading across the plains of Africa towards the tent where a man was sitting looking into the fire.  
“More stew?” The Doctor asked while Hanna just stood and stared.  
“Where have you been, man?” the man they had come to talk to asked. “Seven months. You said you were just popping out for some licorice. I had two very disappointed dancers on my hands. Not that I couldn't manage.”  
“Riddell, listen. I found... well... something”  
“No, no, no, no, no, no. I shan't fall for that again.” Riddell shook his head.  
“He has found something though! You should totally come!” Hanna exclaimed.  
Riddell was silent for a moment before asking the Doctor, “What is it?”  
“I have no idea.” The Doctor replied.  
“Liar.” Hanna looked at him, “I've already told you that it's dinosaurs. And you can't tell me off because I really am being good, even though you told me to let you do the talking, because in my universe he's also Detective Inspector Lestrade in the modern Sherlock Holmes adaptation, and you have NO idea how hard it is not to fangirl right now!!”  
The Doctor glanced at Hanna, “Ignore her, I usually do. Well, I don't but she does have a tendency to say things that don't make much sense. So. Riddell.” He looked at his friend, “Are you in?”  
Riddell grinned at him in response before getting to his feet.  
“I hoped you'd say that. Come on you lot, to the TARDIS!” The Doctor clapped his hands together before turning and leading the group back to the waiting craft.  
Hanna watched the Doctor with interest as he pulled some levers and a few moments later the figures of Amy and Rory appeared inside the TARDIS. Between them was a step ladder and on the step ladder there was a slightly balding man holding a light bulb.  
“You weren't busy, were you?” The Doctor asked, turning to them. “Well, even if you were, it wasn't as interesting as this...” He moved around the console and hit something, “... probably is. Didn't want you to miss it. Now, just a quick hop.” He pressed more controls and a moment later the TARDIS juddered. “Everybody grab a torch.” The Doctor continued, still not appearing to have noticed Rory's dad who was still on the step ladder.  
Hanna moved over to take a torch from the compartment but her wide-eyed gaze did not leave Brian, even when the light bulb he was holding dropped to the ground and smashed. She hung around and waited as Rory got his dad off the ladder and handed him a torch.  
“What the...” Brian finally spoke, his expression confused as he stepped backwards out of the TARDIS and glanced around.  
“Don't move!” The Doctor instructed as the door swung shut behind Hanna, “Do you really think I'm that stupid, I wouldn't notice?” He strode over to Brian and shone the torch in his face, “How did you get aboard, eh? Transmat? Who sent you?”  
“Or you just materialised around him earlier.” Hanna pushed between them.  
“Doctor...” Rory said, clearing his throat, “That's my dad.”  
The Doctor frowned and looked between Brian and Rory, “Well frankly, that's outrageous.”  
“What?” Rory was confused.  
“You think you can just bring your dad along without asking? I'm not a taxi service, you know.”  
“Doctor, you materialised around them!” Hanna pushed, grinning from ear to ear and twisting her hands together in an effort to contain herself, “He just happened to be there too.”  
“Oh.” The Doctor smiled and turned to shake Brian's hand, “Well, that's fine then. My mistake. Hello, Brian! How are you? Nice to meet you. Welcome! This is the gang, I've got a gang.” He pointed at Hanna, “She's trying very hard not to say something and I think that any minute she might just explode so you might as well just go for it.”  
“I'm fine.” She responded, still grinning and staring at Brian, “Totally amazingly awesomely fine.”  
“Then... why are you staring at my dad?” Rory asked her.  
“Because... no reason. Other than he's awesome. Well, I mean he's your dad so he'd have to be pretty damn awesome but at the same time he's... well, he's him!!”  
“I'm sorry, I'm confused. What's so exciting about my dad?” Rory looked at her.  
“Oh nothing. He's just... awesome. Your dad is awesome.” Hanna grinned, “Come on, let's get going!”  
Amy moved over and patted Rory on the arm, “Tell him something. Quick.” She said before turning and following the Doctor.  
Yes, thank you!” Rory called to her over his shoulder before turning to his dad and smiling. He glanced at Hanna, “Please try not to burst or something.”  
“Sorry...” she muttered, “Just... bah! This is so cool!”  
Brian looked at the pair of them, “I'm not entirely sure what's going on.” He stated simply.  
Rory took a deep breath, “You know when Amy and I first got married and we went travelling...?”  
“To Thailand.” Brain confirmed.  
Rory pulled a face, “More the entirety of space and time. In that police box.”  
“She's called the TARDIS.” Hanna put in as Brian turned to look at it in confusion. There was a sudden loud thud that seemed to come from above them and all three of them looked up at once. “Come on!” Hanna grinned at them, “Let's go meet us some dinosaurs!” She bounded off in the direction they'd seen the others go, leaving Rory and Brian to follow slightly more slowly.

They caught up with the Doctor as he was explaining to Amy that Riddell and Nefertiti weren't replacing them but were instead part of his new gang. In front of them something changed, a strange metal clang sounded and they all froze, pointing their torches at the door ahead.  
“It's coming down...” The Doctor murmured.  
Rory glanced at him, “What is it?”  
“Dinosaurs!” Hanna grinned, watching with wide eyes as the door ahead slowly opened, revealing a bright light and two dinosaurs. “Called it! I told you it was dinosaurs but you didn't believe me!”  
“Hanna, to be fair you do have future knowledge of this stuff.” Rory pointed out quietly.  
“So what!” She turned to him indignantly, “You still didn't believe me when I told you it was dinosaurs on a spaceship! Therefore I am quite within my rights to gloat about being right!”  
The Doctor grinned widely, “Run!” He shouted before backing away. Amy grabbed his arm and a moment later all of them were making their way though the corridors as quickly as they could.  
“Through here!” Nefertiti called and they skidded into the room, the Doctor – much to Hanna amusement – sounding a lot like Postman Pat attempting to ice skate.  
They could hear the dinosaurs roaring close by and they hid around the corner, pressing against the wall. Riddell automatically drew a knife but Hanna put a hand on his arm and shook her head. It would be useless to try something like that against the massive creatures. The hunter looked at her and shook his head, “I could take one of them. Short blow up in the throat.” He said quietly  
She shook her head again, “And then the other one would murder you to death. Dinosaurs in space. No way I'm letting you hurt them.” She hissed back.  
“We need to preserve them.” The Doctor added.  
“Then who's going to preserve us?” Riddell argued.  
“Shut it.” Hanna growled, a steely glint in her eyes. “You kill one of them then if the other one doesn't get you, I will.” She twisted the knife out of Riddell's hand and with a quick slice, cut the sheath from his waist, tying it around her own – slimmer – waist. She glared at him as he opened his mouth to protest before sheathing the weapon safely away.  
Riddell backed down, “Oh she could do the job. Her tongue seems quick and sharp enough to cut through anything.”  
“It's 'Hanna'. Not 'her'. And the thing about 'shut up' is that it actually means stop talking.” Hanna retorted quietly, her gaze now fixed on the dinosaurs not far away.  
The others all turned to look as the massive creatures swung their heads in the direction of the group before finally making their way down the corridor, disappearing from view past the TARDIS.  
“Okay...” Rory said eventually. “How? And whose ship?”  
“Well there's so much to discover, think how much wiser we'll all be by the end of this.” The Doctor replied cryptically.  
“Which is his way of saying that he has not got the foggiest idea.” Hanna added, turning and waving slightly over her shoulder to the camera she knew would be watching them.  
“Sorry, sorry.” Brian cut in, looking at the Doctor, “Are you saying that dinosaurs are flying a spaceship?”  
“Am I just invisible or something?” Hanna said indignantly, “He is saying that he has no clue who the spaceship belongs to or who is flying it. And the idea of dinosaurs flying a spaceship is frankly laughable. They're the cargo.”  
“Did I mention missiles?” The Doctor put in, looking at them.  
“Missiles?” Brian looked shocked.  
“Didn't want to worry you.” The Doctor pulled a face before smiling, “Anyway, six hours is a lifetime. Not literally a lifetime, that's what we're trying to avoid!” He guffawed at his own joke.  
“Shall we get on with it, then?” Hanna pushed in between them, “There is someone watching us and some stupid robots to meet.” She grinned at them before bounding off down a corridor, calling back over her shoulder, “Come on! Let's see what we can discover!”  
The group walked a short distance before they found a computer terminal. The Doctor stopped and wiped the cobwebs away from the screen and cleaning his hand on Brian's jacket before activating it with his Sonic.  
“How many dinosaurs do you think are on here?” Amy asked as she and Hanna examined some claw marks on the wall.  
“Who knows. Could be hundreds.” Hanna replied, walking over to peer at the screen over the Doctor's shoulder.  
“We need to get down to these engines.” The Doctor told the computer and a moment later he along with Brian, Rory and Hanna vanished, leaving Riddell, Amy and Nefertiti alone.


	4. Dinosaurs on a Spaceship - Part 2

“Hate teleports...” Hanna muttered as they reappeared on a beach.  
“What?” The Doctor looked around in confusion.  
“We're outside... we're on a beach...” Brian said, his eyes wide as he looked around.  
“Teleport... Oh, I hate teleports!” The Doctor groaned in annoyance. “Must have activated on my voice.”  
“Ah yes. Well thank you, Arthur C Clarke.” Brian was annoyed now and Hanna couldn't exactly blame him. Not long ago the most exciting thing in his life was golf and tending the garden and now he was on a beach in a spaceship full of dinosaurs. “Teleport. Obviously.” Brian continued, “I mean, we're on a spaceship with dinosaurs. Why wouldn't there be a teleport? In fact, why don't we just teleport now?!” He turned and started to walk away.  
“Because we're where we need to be.” Hanna took a couple of quick steps towards him, “This isn't a random beach, this is the engines. The Doctor said we needed to see the engines so the ship teleported us here.” She sighed, “Look, I know how you feel. Dazed, confused, you don't know where you are or what's going on. You've just been thrown into this world that you know nothing about and all you really want is to go home and have a nice cup of tea. Put your feet up and read the newspaper or watch TV. Which you will be able to but we need to get this done first.” She smiled at him, “Brian Williams you are amazing. And you're Rory's dad. If he can cope with this then I'm damn certain that you can too.”  
He looked up at her, “You've an awful lot of faith in someone you've just met.”  
She shrugged, “Look, this is all new to you... and it's new to me too. But I've got an advantage in that I know the future. Well it's an advantage and a curse. This to me is a TV show. Don't... just don't get annoyed or freak out or anything. But where I'm from, Doctor Who is a TV show that started just over 50 years ago. Strictly speaking I can't say to anyone what is going to happen in case they try to change it or something. But I know that you, Brian Williams, are magnificent. And clever and brave and loyal. And all those brilliant characteristics you passed down to Rory.”  
He took a moment to take in what she'd said, “So, how did you get here?”  
“Not a clue.” She sighed, “Some kind of time travel. Or split in time and space that I fell through. Something like that. And if I'm really honest I do just want to go home and have a cup of tea and just... have this just being a TV show again. But now I've seen some of what the universe has to offer... I love it here. And I love the TARDIS. And... things will work themselves out.” She glanced over her shoulder at the Doctor and Rory, “We should get back to them. You okay?”  
He nodded, “Yeah, thank you Hanna.” He put an arm around her shoulders in a slight hug before the pair of them turned and went back to where the others were waiting.  
“All okay?” The Doctor asked them.  
“Just dandy.” Hanna replied, nodding slightly. “Just a bit of culture shock.”  
The Doctor suddenly stuck his tongue out, “We're not on Earth.” He told them after a moment, “It doesn't taste right. Too metallic.”  
A bird calling on the distance took Brian's attention, “Is that a Kestrel?”  
The Doctor grinned as he turned to look, “I do hope so.”  
“The beach is humming.” Rory said, looking up at them. He and Hanna had crouched down, palms pressed flat against the sand.  
“Is it?” The Doctor looked down at them, “Well don't just stand there you lot. Dig! I'm going to look at rocks. Love a rock”  
“Dig with what?” Rory called after him as he walked away. Hanna bounded after him, wanting to give Rory and Brian a chance to talk to one another.  
“So how are you holding up?” The Doctor asked Hanna as they walked, jumping up onto a flat rock.  
“Pretty good.” She grinned at him, “This is awesome. And we're in the engine room, by the way. The ship teleported us here because you wanted to see the engines.”  
“-I'm 31, I don't HAVE a Christmas list any more.” Rory's voice floated over to them.  
“I do!” The Doctor turned and shouted back at them grinning widely and the wind whipping his hair.  
Hanna laughed and waved at them, “You're never too old for a Christmas list!” She called.  
Brian suddenly sat up, saying something that Hanna couldn't quite hear. A moment later Rory was on his feet and calling to them, “Doctor! Hanna!” He ran towards them, Brian following not far behind.  
Hanna laughed, “Metal floor under the sand?” She called. “That's what being the engine room will do to a beach!”  
The Doctor laughed, turning and activating a screen in the nearest rock as Rory and Brian caught up to them. “Metal floors, screens in rocks. Engine room, like Hanna said.”  
“But we're outside on the beach.” Brian said, clearly still confused.  
“No, it's part of the ship, Dad.” Rory replied, glancing at him.  
“Don't be ridiculous.” Brian replied.  
“Well it's is quite ridiculous,” The Doctor cut in, “Also, brilliant. That's why the system teleported us here.”  
“Told you.” Hanna grinned at them, leaning on the Doctor and Rory's shoulders, “Asked for the engine room, got the engines which also happen to be an awesome beach!”  
“Hydro-generators!” The Doctor pulled away from them and spun around, his arms in the air.  
Brian looked at Hanna and Rory, “I have literally no idea what he's saying.”  
“A spaceship powered by waves.” Rory explained.  
“Fabulously impossible!” The Doctor clapped Brian and Rory on the shoulder, “Oh think of the things we could learn from this ship if we manage to stop it being blown to pieces!”  
“Plus, not dying.” Rory added.  
“Bad news is I can't shut the wave system down in time. It takes way-” The Doctor was interrupted by a screech from the sky high above them and turned to look at what had caused it, his face falling. “Too long...”  
“Well if these are the engines there must be a control room.” Rory said, still looking at the screen.  
“Exactly. That's what we need to find. Now.”  
The Doctor seemed flustered whereas Hanna was staring up at the approaching speck in the sky with a mixture of fear and glee, “Better hurry up about it though,” She grinned, “Looks like Myfanwy and her friends are hungry.”  
The Doctor, Brian and Rory all turned to face the creatures that were getting steadily closer. “Oh my Lord...” Brian murmured, “Are those pterodactyls?”  
“Yes...” The Doctor replied, On any other occasion I'd be thrilled. Exposed on a beach, less than thrilled.”  
“They are beautiful though. Torchwood Three had one. She was Ianto's pet. Bless him.” Hanna grinned at them, “We should probably start running right about now. You coming?” She turned and took off, running away from the flying creatures.  
“Where are we going?” Rory called to her as the others ran as well.  
“Away from them!” She replied over her shoulder.  
“That's the plan?” She could almost hear him rolling his eyes.  
“Unless you've got a better idea!” She retorted, “Just run from the bloody pterodactyls before you become their supper!”  
“I think they might have noticed us!” Rory shouted.  
“No shit!” She replied, “Keep running!”  
“Can't we teleport or something?”  
“No!” The Doctor answered Rory's question, “Local teleports burned out on arrival.”  
They kept running, heading towards the cliff face in the hope that there would be somewhere they could hide without the pterodactyls being able to get at them. They were in luck, there was a cave in the face of the cliff and Hanna pelted towards it. “There's an opening in the cliffs! Come on!” She shouted over her shoulder. The pterodactyls were almost upon them, snapping their massive beaks and squawking. The four of them ran into the cave and away from the pterodactyls. Hanna leaned on a wall, panting, while Rory gripped his shoulder in pain.  
“Are you all right?” Brian asked him.  
Rory waved away his concern, “Yeah, I'm fine.”  
“Yeah, people are always fine when they get got by pterodactyls. Honestly Brian, you're such a worrier.” Hanna said drily, moving over to Rory.  
“What do we do now? There's no way back out there.” Rory looked up at the Doctor; worried, annoyed and in pain.  
“Through the cave. Come on.” The Doctor took a couple of steps before stopping in his tracks at a loud thud. “That suggestion was a work in progress.”  
“Well it's through the caves to the stupid robots or back out to meet Mfyanwy properly. If it's all the same to you, I'd rather take the robots.” Hanna said, stepping up behind him.  
“We're trapped?” Brian glanced at the pair of them.  
“Yes, thanks for spelling it out.” The Doctor replied.  
“Doctor...” Rory said in a low voice, “Whatever it is, it's coming this way.”  
“Spelling it out is hereditary. Wonderful.” The Doctor muttered sarcastically.  
“Seriously, we can go through the caves. The robots are pretty ridiculous.” Hanna leaned against the wall nonchalantly as the thuds got louder and closer until two yellow robots with lights on their shoulders and chests stomped into view.  
The robots looked big and menacing right up until the moment they started to speak, “We're very cross with you.” One of them said.  
Hanna laughed, “Oh yes, I'm sure you are. Take us to your leader and all that.” She looked over her shoulder at Rory who was sharing an incredulous look with his father, “Oh and in case you were wondering... it sounds like David Mitchell and Robert Webb. Because... well because in my world it is them. Come on.”

 

“Are you serious?” Rory said to Hanna under his breath as he walked, “Those two are Mitchell and Webb?”  
Hanna giggled faintly, “Yep. I mean it's a story about dinosaurs being the cargo on a spaceship that's about the crash into the Earth. You need a bit of light comic relief.”  
“Yeah, but still...” Rory sighed, “Seems strange though.”  
“Yep.” Hanna agreed, “Ah well.” She smiled at him.  
“Sorry, I'm still a bit confused as to what's going on here,” Brian said, looking from Hanna to the robots that were taking them through the ship.  
She sighed slightly, “Well basically, the Doctor materialised his time machine around you, Amy and Rory, he then transported us through time and space onto a spaceship that is about to crash into the Earth, this spaceship which we are on now happens to also contain dinosaurs for some reason that is never really explained or if it is I can't remember it. We teleported to the engine room by accident because the Doctor wanted to see the engines, thus leaving Amy behind with the Egyptian Queen Nefertiti and a big game hunter named John Riddell. They're fine by the way. A spaceship captained by Argus Filch has docked onto this ship and wants to do something I can't remember with it and we're being led to him by Mitchell and Webb. That's pretty much the gist of it. Basically... space time travel, bad stuff goes down, the Doctor and his companions save the day.” She grinned at him, “Which of course leads to the bigger and more important question. Who plays Arthur Weasley?”  
“I'm sorry, what?” Brian frowned at her.  
“In Harry Potter. I know there is a version of it in this universe because the Doctor mentioned it in an earlier episode where he met Shakespeare. But in the films in my universe he's played by the same actor who plays Brian. Which leads to the big question of who plays Arthur Weasley in this universe's version of the Harry Potter films?”  
“How is that the big question? Or in any way relevant?” Rory looked at her in confusion.  
“Because I want to know. It's important to me!” She grinned at him, “Please?”  
He sighed, “I can't remember. One of those well known actors you see everywhere. Martin... Freeman? Is that it? Someone like that.”  
Her eyes widened, “Oh but he's ru-” She stopped and frowned, “No, hang on. Martin Freeman? He's brilliant. He's in all sorts of stuff. That's... that could work. It's not supposed to work, it's supposed to be rubbish!” She folded her arms in mild annoyance, “Oh that's not fair! I wanted it to be someone rubbish that I was allowed to dislike on instinct but he's brilliant! But he's not Brian. I'm confused.” She pouted and fell silent.  
Rory looked from her to the Doctor, “Hang on, have we somehow managed to silence Hanna? That has got to be a first, hasn't it?” He looked at his dad, adding, “Usually she doesn't stop talking.”  
“Hush...” Hanna mumbled grumpily, “I'm trying to get my head around someone as awesome as your dad playing Mr Weasley.”  
“Be quiet.” One of the robots said from behind them, “You're going straight on the naughty step.”  
“What's the escape plan?” Brian muttered to the others.  
“Why do we want to escape?” The Doctor replied, “Hanna said the robots were safe if not slightly ridiculous and told them to take us to their leader, which I would presume they are.”  
“But they have us hostage.” Brain protested.  
“They're taking us somewhere,” Rory cut in, “We might learn something from it.”  
“Ah, you see? So clever. I've missed you, Rory!” The Doctor grinned at him, pinching his cheek.  
Rory knocked his hand away, “Don't do that.”  
“What if they kill us?” Brian was still clearly very concerned by the robots behind them.  
“They wouldn't do that!” The Doctor spun around to face the robots and slapped one of them on the chest in a friendly manner, “You're not going to kill us, are you, rusty?”  
“Who are you calling rusty?!” The Mitchell-Robot exclaimed.  
“Well, have you seen yourself lately?” The Doctor replied.  
“You try being on this ship for two millennia and see how your paintwork does!” The Mitchell-Robot retorted.  
“Don't listen to him,” the second (Webb) robot said patiently to its fellow, “He's just being mean because we captured him.”  
Before anyone could reply to that – and Hanna certainly looked like she was going to – they were distracted by a growl from behind them. The Doctor and his companions turned, only to see a dinosaur standing there, watching them.  
“Tricey!” Hanna grinned, “Oh hello!” She glanced at the others, “Triceratops. Isn't it beautiful!” She grinned widely before turning her attention back to the dinosaur as it came closer, “Aren't you good dinosaur? Yes you are.”  
“Shall I shoot it?” The Webb-Robot asked, slightly confused.  
“We're not supposed to shoot the creatures, stupid!” The Mitchell-Robot chided.  
“Stop calling me stupid!” Webb-Robot snapped back.  
The Doctor and Hanna grinned to each other, crouching down in front of the triceratops. “Hello, cutie-pie.” The Doctor greeted it cheerfully. “Who's a lovely Tricey then? Yes, you are. Yes, you are!” The Doctor rubbed the creature's nose affectionately.  
Hanna giggled, “You are gorgeous...” she murmured, patting the creature happily though it seemed a lot more interested in Brian.  
“What do I do? What do I do?” The man asked, his fear evident in his voice and his hands in the air as the dinosaur sniffed him. “What it doing?!”  
“You don't have any vegetable matter in your trousers do you Brian?” The Doctor asked.  
Brian thought for a moment, “Only my balls.”  
Hanna laughed and grinned while Rory facepalmed, “Give it your balls, Brian. It can smell them.” She said.  
“I'm sorry, what?!” Rory looked seriously confused.  
“Golf balls.” Brian pulled two of them out of his pocket, “Grassy residue.”  
“What are you carrying those around for?” Rory peered over the Doctor's shoulder.  
Hanna looked at him, “You ask this from the man who also carries a trowel wherever he goes.”  
Rory thought for a moment, “Yep, fair enough, you've got a point there.”  
She laughed as Tricey growled and licked Brian's face, much to his disgust, “Naww! Bless him, he's saying hello!”  
“Get it away from me!” Brian complained, clearly wanting to be pretty much anywhere but where he actually was at that time.  
“Throw one?” The Doctor suggested.  
“Really?” Brian swallowed, “Is this what you want? Is it?” He was still holding up the golf balls and shook them slightly before throwing one over the dinosaur's head. Tricey turned to watch it go before following it.  
“And breathe out!” The Doctor smiled at him before turning back to the pair or robots who had been patiently waiting, watching the encounter. “Right. Take us to your leader.”  
“Hey!” Hanna protested while Brian wiped his face with a white handkerchief, “That's my line!”  
“Sorry, too good to resist.” The Doctor grinned at her before they were once more led away.  
Hanna fell silent as they started to move, she knew that she knew who built the ship but couldn't quite think of who. It was on the tip of her tongue, “Who could it be...” she mumbled to herself, “Who logically would build a spaceship and fill it with dinosaurs?”  
“Could be anyone.” Rory said, overhearing her.  
She shook her head, “No, there has to be a logical reason. If you were going to fill a spaceship with dinosaurs and send them off what would motivate you?”  
He shrugged, “To get rid of them... or to save them I suppose.”  
She looked up at him, “That's it. To save them. Doctor, this is a Silurian ship.”  
“Silurian?” The Doctor turned to look at her, “Are you sure?”  
“Positive. This is a Silurian ark.” She nodded, “Like Nerva. Or Noah's. Well... both of them were Noah's.”  
“Nerva?” Rory asked.  
“Both the far future and a long way into the Doctor's past. The humans detected solar flares or something that would wipe out the Earth and sent up an ark. They named the guy in charge Noah as a joke. Nice bloke... bit insect-y though.”  
“You're riffing.” The Doctor pointed out.  
“Ah, so I am,” She laughed, “But it is one of my favourite stories. And one of the first I ever watched.”  
“Be quiet you lot,” Mitchell-Robot cut in, “We're almost there.”  
The Doctor stepped forwards as the sound of piano music reached them. He peered in through a glass pane, “Love what you've done with the place down here.”  
“Let him in. Open the gate.” An old male voice said from the other side.  
Hanna gripped the Doctor's arm, “Be careful, yeah?”  
“Of course.” He smiled at her, “I'm always careful.” The gate open and he stepped through but it closed again before the others could follow him. “It's fine,” he turned to look at them and smiled again, “It's fine.”  
“He's not interested in you.” The Mitchell-Robot said.  
“Look,” Rory turned to face the two robots, “You need to learn some manners.”  
“No, you need to learn some manners.” The Mitchell-Robot replied.  
“No, you do.” Rory argued.  
Hanna put a hand on his arm, “Don't bother, it's just how they've been programmed. Arguing with it isn't going to help.”  
“Yeah, but...” Rory turned and looked at her, “It doesn't have to be so rude.”  
“I know it doesn't but arguing with it like a child isn't going to do anything to help,” she replied calmly, though she was acutely aware that he was thirteen years older than her. “How's your arm?”  
“Sore.” He replied, stepping back away from the robots, “But I'm fine.”  
“Have you even looked at it?” She asked.  
He sighed and pulled off his jacket, rolling his sleeve up and craning his neck to look at his shoulder. There were dark bruises already starting to form but thanks to Brian's quick thinking and hitting the pterodactyl away with his torch there seemed to be no real damage done. “It feels okay, just aches. Like I've walked into something. I can see use my arm all right so I don't think there's going to be any lasting damage.”  
“Good.” She smiled at him, “Wouldn't do to have you incapacitated by a pterodactyl. The people at work would start to wonder!”  
He nodded, rolling his sleeve back down and putting on his jacket, “What's going on in there do you reckon?”  
“Solomon's injured. What he really needs is a medical doctor. From what I can remember he was got by some raptors.”  
“How did he manage to survive that?” Brian asked, watching the pair of them.  
“With a bit of help from the friendly neighbourhood robots.” She smiled at him, “They saved his life.”  
“Injure the older one.” The voice of the old man – Solomon – came over the local speaker system again.  
“No!” Hanna shouted as one of the Robots fired and Brian collapsed with a cry of pain. “You know you've just ruined any chances you had of the Doctor helping you!” She continued to shout, “No one does well after deliberately hurting people for no reason!” She crouched down beside Brian and Rory, the younger man doing his best to reassure his father that everything was going to be fine. “It will be okay, Brian.” She put in, forcing a smile, “You've still got more adventures to come.”  
Brian was starting to calm down slightly and Rory carefully pulled his clothes away from his wounded shoulder before turning to the Robots, “I will take you apart cog by cog and melt you down when this is over.” He told them, icily calm.  
“Oh I'm so scared,” The Mitchell-Robot replied childishly.  
Hanna stood up sharply, “Well you should be.” She snarled, “No one crosses us and gets away with it. You hurt one of them most brilliant men in the universe because some bigwig told you to. And there was NO need for it. He told you to hurt Brian simply because he didn't like the Doctor asking him how he got here. So don't you DARE say or do anything else or I will tear you apart right now.” When the robots didn't reply she nodded, “Good. Now stay like that if you value your continued existence.” She turned her back on them and crouched beside Rory and Brian again.  
“You know, you can be really scary at times,” Rory said to her.  
“Good.” She replied, taking a deep breath to calm herself, “Sometimes being scary is exactly what's needed. How is he?”  
He smiled at her, “He'll be fine. It's just a burn, nothing serious.” He pulled a small first aid kit out of his pocket.  
“What's that?” Brian asked.  
“While you carry a trowel, I carry a med-pack. It's all about the pockets in our family.” He smiled slightly as Brian chuckled before continuing, “This is an ice patch, it cools the skin.”  
“I've never seen one of those,” Brian said, watching him.  
“Yeah, I look out for cool stuff wherever we go. For some people it's cars and hardware, for me it's nursing supplies.” Rory pressed the patch against the burn on Brian's shoulder.  
“I think nursing supplies is better, to be honest.” Hanna said quietly, “It's actually useful... one of the many reasons why you're so awesome.”  
Rory glanced at her and smiled slightly before going back to what he was doing, “Now, painkiller. Now this won't hurt.” He said before injecting it.  
“Ow!” Brian exclaimed.  
“Rory looked up at him, “I lied. It won't hurt from now on though.”  
“Like father, like daughter...” Hanna muttered.  
“Hmm?” Rory looked over at her.  
“River.” She clarified. “Before you joined us there was a whole thing with Weeping Angels. River injected something that I can't remember at the moment into Amy and told her it wouldn't hurt before adding 'I lied'.”  
“Ah...” He looked at Brian, “There's a whole other story in that which I'll tell you about later. Anyway, you're done.” He smiled at his dad.  
“Thanks.” Brian replied.  
“That's all right,” Rory smiled slightly, “You get to see my awesome nursing skills in action for once.” Before anyone could say anything else a ringtone split the air.  
“What's that?” The Mitchell-Robot asked, looking around before clearing seeing the evil gaze that Hanna cast its way and froze again.  
“Your phone's ringing...” Brian said in confusion. “In space.”  
“You get used to it.” Rory and Hanna said in unison before Rory continued, “I have to take this. It's the wife.” He answered the phone and held it to his ear. “Hello, Missus.”  
“What's going on?” Brian asked Hanna as she sat down beside him, “How does the phone work in space?”  
She shrugged, “The Doctor does something to it. Some kind of science-magic as far as I can tell.”  
“-And a couple of robots that Hanna and I are going to melt down.” Hanna looked up as she caught the end of Rory's sentence.  
“Too damn right!” She added.  
Rory waved a hand at her to tell her to be quiet while he listened to Amy, “Yes, we know. Hanna told us. Eventually. Took her a while to remember it though.”  
Hanna grinned at him and whispered, “Sorry.” Before looking back at Brian, “No one ever really knows or understands half of what he does.”  
Brian nodded, “Yeah, I'm starting to get that.”  
Rory's face fell as he listened to the rest of what Amy had to say, “Doctor!” He called, going over to the gate and holding the phone out, “It's Amy.”  
The Doctor stepped over and took the phone from him, his voice and expression turning grave as she spoke. He hung up and passed the phone back to Rory, “Be ready.” He told them.  
Hanna swallowed, “I'm going to take it that I've forgotten some major plot point. What's going on?”  
“Get up. Both of you...” Rory said quietly, waiting until they had before continuing, “The Silurians, do you know what happened to them?”  
She frowned deeply in though, “No... I know they were all gone but... but as to what happened to them.. no, I don't remember.” She swore under her breath, “Oh of all the things I had to forget...!” She spun in a circle, “Solomon... he wants the Dinosaurs but for some reason they're on a course to hit the Earth... that's no benefit at all. I know how this ends, we steer the ship away and save the day but he can't do it by himself. He can't change the trajectory of the ship. There aren't any Silurians left so of course he can't...” She sighed, “Sorry...”  
“It's fine. You know a lot more than we do about the situation.” Rory smiled at her.  
“Yeah, but I don't remember the important parts! I haven't seen this one for a while, other stuff got in the way.”  
The door opened and the Doctor stepped out, “Well don't just stand there, Rory! Hey,” He pointed at the robots, “He wants to see you.” He started to walk past them, the others exchanging a slightly confused glance before following. They took off down the corridor, only skidding to a halt when they caught sight of a triceratops in front of them.


	5. Dinosaurs on a Spaceship - Part 3

“What are we doing?” Brian asked as the Doctor started to run towards the dinosaur.

“Just do what I do!” He called back over his shoulder.

“Doctor, no!” Rory shouted.

“Geronimo!” The Doctor laughed as he ran up a couple of well placed bits of masonry and onto the dinosaur's back.

Hanna laughed and took off after him, “Come on!” She shouted, leaping up behind him. “Whoop for Tricey!”

“Go Tricey!” The Doctor shouted once Rory and Brian were also on board, “Run like the wind!” He frowned and looked down as the dinosaur didn't move. The robots were starting to get closer, shooting at them, “How do you start a Triceratops?!”

“Hang on a minute.” Brian said, putting his last golf ball out of his pocket, “Tricey, fetch!” He threw the ball in front of the dinosaur and as it bounced away Tricey roared and started to chase after it.

Hanna laughed and whooped, wrapping her arms around the Doctor's waist. The robots were still following them but were starting to fall back as they rode the triceratops through the corridors.

“I'm riding a dinosaur!” Brian shouted, “On a spaceship!” He laughed, “I only came round to fix your light!”

“Where are the brakes?!” The Doctor shouted as it suddenly became apparent that they were heading straight towards a solid wall but before they could do anything Tricey skidded, trying to stop and as a result throwing them off its back. They landed in a pile on the metal floor with Tricey standing over them. The dinosaur dropped the golf ball in front of Rory before walking off. “Good! That worked.” The Doctor said as they sat up. “Okay...”

“Uh... where are we now?” Rory asked, rubbing his side as he got to his feet, turning and holding up a hand to Hanna, who took it gratefully and used it to help pull herself up.

“Somewhere on the spaceship...” she muttered unhelpfully.

“Oh!” The Doctor grinned as a screen nearby lit up and beeped, “Incoming message from Earth! Hello, Earth! How are things?” He accepted the incoming message and Indira's face filled the screen.

“Doctor,” She said, “They ship's coming through the atmosphere. I have to start the missile programme.”

“No. No, no, no, don't do that!” The Doctor looked shocked and scared. “Everything's completely under control here. Turning around any moment. Need a little wiggle room on the timings...”

“I can't do that.” The woman replied.

“Yes you can.” Hanna hung off the Doctor's shoulder, “Please, just give us as much time as you can. We can do this, I know we can. Everything will be absolutely fine as long as you do not fire those missiles. The spaceship is full of Dinosaurs and I don't think they'd appreciate being made extinct twice!”

“My only responsibility is the Earth's safely. I'm launching the missiles. Goodbye, Doctor.” The woman replied before breaking off the connection.

“No, you can't do that!” Hanna shouted at the now blank screen. “Doctor, we have to get this ship turned around and we have to do it now. We just need to get to the deck to pilot the ship and everything will be hunky dory. I know we can do this.” Her eyes were wide, “We just can't waste any more time. We've got... about half an hour.” She ran a hand through her hair, “Oh my useless sodding memory! I can remember that we have half an hour now that this bit's happened but I still can't remember the important major plot points. Useless Hanna!” She pulled at her hair, “Come on!”

“Doesn't the ship have any defence systems installed?” Rory asked, still looking at the screen.

“Oh good thinking, Rory!” The Doctor exclaimed, running over and kissing him. “Computer, show us weapons and defence systems.” He turned to the screen, leaving Rory to look mildly confused and disgusted and Hanna to laugh. “That was a waste of time, wasn't it? Getting my hopes up like that.” The Doctor lightly hit Rory a couple of times on the cheeks.

“Well what ship doesn't have weapons?” Rory asked.

“The ancient species, Rory – still full of hope.” The Doctor replied.

“Plus it's an ark.” Hanna added, “I doubt many people think 'Oh what do we need on this ark, I know a shit tonne of weaponry'.”

“What about the control deck?” Brian asked from behind them. “You said we should go to the control deck next. Hanna, didn't you say we could pilot this ship away?”

“Yes. Yes, I did say that!” She pointed at Brian, “He's clever. Can we keep him?”

“But it's too late, it won't make any difference...” The Doctor said.

“Oh no, don't you start giving up on me. Only I'm allowed to do that!” Hanna said sharply, “We can do this. We DO do this. It will work! Yes, the missiles are locked on, I know that, but we can do it!”

The noise of electricity crackling made them all turn around. “You were telling the truth, Doctor.” Solomon said, looking at them, flanked by the two robots, “Earth has launched missiles. This vessel is too clumsy to outrun them but I have my own ship.”

“You won't get your precious cargo on board though. Just be you and your metal tantrum machines.” The Doctor stepped towards him, pointing to emphasise his words.

“We do not have tantrums!” The Mitchell-Robot exclaimed.

“Yes you do!” Hanna snapped, “And I haven't forgotten my promise to tear you to pieces so I suggest you continue to shut up!”

Solomon took a couple of steps towards them, “You're right, Doctor. I can't keep the dinosaurs and live myself. But I had the I system scan the entire ship. And it found something even more valuable. Utterly unique.”

“Oh, I don't like where this is going...” Hanna muttered, “The IV system is the thing that calculates market value of absolutely anything,” she added to Rory and Brian.

“I don't know where you found it or how you got it here,” Solomon continued, “But I want it.”

“I don't know what you're talking about.” The Doctor replied.

“Earth Queen Nefertiti of Egypt.” Solomon said. “A face stamped across history. Give her to me and I'll let the rest of you live.”

“No way.” Hanna said before anyone else could, “Absolutely no way are we giving you Nefi! She's far too important to history!”

“Be quiet, girl,” Solomon looked over at her, “You think I won't punish those who get in my way? Whatever they're worth.”

“Who cares about what people are worth!” She growled, taking a step forwards, “You think I won't punish those who have absolutely no regard for the lives of others?”

Solomon met her gaze coldly, gesturing to one of the robots with his hand. It stepped forwards and started to fire. Tricey roared in pain.

“No!” Hanna shrieked, “Don't you dare! I will fucking destroy you all!” She unsheathed the knife she had taken from Riddell earlier and brandished it at Solomon, taking a threatening step forwards, “Tell it to stop or I'll kill you right here. I won't wait for anyone else to do it for me.” There were tears of anger in her eyes and her voice had gone icily cold. “Tricey is a defenceless creature. So I'm damn sure going to stand up for it. If you kill it then there is nothing that can stop me hunting you down and tearing you limb from limb.”

Solomon met her gaze equally coldly for a moment, “Nothing but your own honour.” He replied.

“My honour be damned.” She growled, “You are the lowest type of scum in the universe and I should have killed you the moment you teleported over here.” She wiped her eyes sharply on her sleeve as the robot stopped firing. Tricey's roars subsided to whines and growls of pain. She ran over and dropped to her knees beside the dinosaur, patting it on the neck, “It's okay, Tricey. It's okay. You did good...” she murmured to it, “I won't let him hurt you any more...” she could feel the tears running down her face and dripping onto its thick skin, “You just... Just sleep now... rest...” She kissed the dinosaur's cheek, her shoulders trembling slightly before she rose to her feet and turned to Solomon, the knife still clasped in her shaking left hand.

“Oh drop it, girl,” Solomon sneered, “You haven't got the guts.”

“Hanna...” Rory went over and put a hand on her shoulder.

“He killed Tricey...” she whispered.

“I know. And we can grieve for Tricey later. For now we need to focus on saving all the other dinosaurs on this ship.”

She looked at him for a long moment before sniffing and nodding, putting the knife away and wiping her eyes on her sleeve again. She swallowed and forced a smile at him before facing Solomon, her jaw set as she forced herself not to leap at the man.

“You must be very proud,” The Doctor said to Solomon in a low voice.

“Bring her to me or the robots will make their way through your corpses.” Solomon replied. When no one moved he persisted, “Bring her now!”

“No.” The Doctor replied but before Solomon could do anything there was a crackle of a teleport and Amy, Riddell and Nefertiti appeared. The Doctor looked at them, “What are you doing?” He whispered to Nefertiti.

“I demanded to be brought here.” She told him.

“No. No, no, no, no. No way.” He moved to block her way.

“It isn't your choice, Doctor. It's mine.” She insisted.

“But you have a place in history. Your people...” Hanna started but trailed off into silence.

“If you go with him, I can't guarantee your safety.” The Doctor told the Egyptian woman.

“You two saved my people. I am in your debt.” Nefertiti told them.

“Then don't go with him.” Hanna replied, “You don't owe us anything but if you feel you do them repay us by not going with him.”

“I do it of my own free will.” Nefertiti told them.

“Nefi...!” The Doctor tried to stop her as she pushed past them.

“No!” Riddell cocked the gun in his hand, “Take her, I shoot you.”

Nefertiti turned to him and held up a hand, “Put your weapon down. Let me make my choice.”

“Do it, boy.” Solomon taunted, one of his robots taking a step forward. Riddell hesitated for a long moment before slowly lowering the gun. Solomon smiled at him before looked back at Nefertiti, “My bounty increases. And what an extraordinary bounty you are.” He reached a hand up to touch her face and she batted his hand away.

“Never touch me.” She said coldly but he pushed her back, holding one of the triangular crutches he had been leaning on to her throat.

“I like my possessions to have spirit.” He said to her, “It means I have have fun breaking them.” He lowered his arm, allowing her to go free. “And I will break you in with immense pleasure.”

“You're a creepy and pathetic little man,” Hanna growled at Solomon, having to be restrained by Amy's hand on her arm even though the other woman looked not far from attacking the man herself. “And I pity you. I pity all people like you. All the people of this universe who think that the only thing worth having is money and the ability to hurt others.”

Solomon ignored her, bored of playing his little game with the feisty Scottish girl, “Thank you, Doctor.” He said with a smile before adding in a slightly louder and more commanding voice, “Computer, take us back to my ship.” Then he, the two robots and Nefertiti were gone.

Hanna pulled her way out of Amy's grasp, “Why hold me back? I could have killed the pathetic little weasel.”

“No you couldn't.” Amy replied, “As much as Rory could walk past someone who had been hurt and not try to help them. You're a good person, Hanna. And you wouldn't do it.”

Hanna was about to say something else when an alarm sounded from the computer, “Hostile targeting in progress.” It repeated over the sound of the alarms, the room they were in now being bathed in a red light.

“Bingo...” The Doctor said quietly, a smile creeping onto his face.

“What is it?” Rory asked, “Doctor?”

“Control deck. We need to get to the sodding control deck!” Hanna snapped, “Computer!” A moment later they teleported, all six of them appearing simultaneously at the control deck.

“Okay.” The Doctor looked around, going over and taking the top of something and peering inside.

“What's the plan?” Rory asked.

The Doctor looked up at him, “The missiles are locked on to us. We can't outrun them. We have to save the dinosaurs and get Nefertiti back from Solomon, isn't it obvious?” The look on Rory's face told him that it clearly wasn't as obvious as he thought.

“Of course it's not obvious.” Hanna told him, sitting in one of the chairs, “When is one of your plans ever obvious?”

“Seventeen minutes before the missiles hit.” The Doctor elaborated, “We need to turn this ship around.”

“But... you said it was too late, that there wasn't any time.” Rory was still confused.

“Ah, yes, but I didn't have this plan then, did I? Riddell?” The Doctor poked his hand inside a panel and activated the Sonic Screwdriver, “Keep an eye out for dinosaurs.”

“I was rather hoping you'd say that.” The big game hunter replied with a grin, passing the gun he was holding to Brian as he took off his jacket.

“No killing any,” The Doctor added before continuing, “Rory, Brian, get rid of the cobwebs. Hanna, just continue to sit there and look pretty while I do all the work.”

She laughed, “I presume you're going to stop Solomon from leaving?”

“Yep, magnetising their ship onto ours so that he can't escape with Nefi.”

“Excellent.” She got up and went over to Riddell, clapping him on the shoulder, “Good luck. And be careful.” She told him seriously, “Those raptors are no joke and despite pretty much everything about you I'm kind of starting to grow fond of you.”

“You've barely spent any time with me.” He pointed out.

“Ah, that's probably why then. But still...” She smiled at him, “Just come back safe.” Riddell nodded at her before stepping outside and she turned back to the others.

“Don't be like that!” The Doctor was talking to the machines. “Really unhelpful.”

“What's the matter?” Amy asked.

“Parallel pilot compartment,” he explained, “It's bio-configured. Needs two operators of the same gene chain. That's why Solomon couldn't change the ship's course and neither can we.”

“Apart from the fact with have Brian along for the ride.” Hanna pointed out.

“She's right, we can.” Brian said, “Me and Rory. We must be the same gene thingy, you just said.”

“Brian Pond you are delicious.” The Doctor grinned at him.

“I'm not a Pond.” Brian replied.

“Of course you are. Sit down.” The Doctor pointed at the two pilot seats.

“Actually he's not. He's a Williams. And they're pretty damn awesome too.” Hanna grinned before called out into the corridor, “Riddell get your stupid arse back in here before you get eaten! And close the door on your way in!”

“The machine does all the engineering. The controls are straightforward.” The Doctor explained as the two men sat down. Even a monkey could use them and oh look, they're going to.” He clapped his hands together and pointed at them both before laughing. When no one else reacted he sighed, “Guys come on. Comedy gold. Where's a Silurian audience when you need one? Anyway, two eyeline screens, velocity and trajectory. Steer away from the Earth, try not to bump into the Moon, otherwise the races who live there will be livid.” He ignored Brian's confusion and continued, “Primary control's in the arms of the chairs. Principle's the same as any vehicle. Eight minutes, 45 seconds.” He pulled out his Sonic Screwdriver and used it to activate the chairs. “Get us as far away as you can.” He went over to the panel in the middle he'd be poking around in, “Right, phase two sorted now for phase one...”

“No, phase two comes after phase one,” Amy laughed.

“First thing's first but not necessarily in that order.” Hanna replied, “You've been travelling with the Doctor long enough have you still not been able to get your head around the whole 'he's a time traveller and sees things differently' thing?”

“Shine a torch in there.” The Doctor told Amy.

“What are you doing?” She asked as she did as he said.

“Mixing my messages.” He replied, “How's the job?”

“We're about to be hit by missiles and you're asking me that?” Amy frowned slightly.

Hanna swallowed, picking up the second gun and examining it for a moment before muttering, “I'm going to check on Riddell. See if he hasn't managed to get himself killed yet.”

The big game hunter glanced at her briefly and asked, “What are you doing?” As he shot another raptor.

“Figured you could use a hand.” She cocked the weapon she was holding, “They're all busy talking and I figured someone as big and strong as you could do with someone smaller and faster to help do the job right.” She fired off a shot as she spoke, taking down another raptor, “But don't worry, I'll save some for you if you're good.”

He laughed softly and the pair of them stood shoulder to shoulder as they fended off the raptors, “Quickens the blood, doesn't it?” He grinned.

She laughed, “Usually this isn't my scene... but dad would take me out to shooting ranges occasionally.”

“You know what I want more than anything?” He asked.

“Well a lot of things that are far ahead of your time.” She replied with a grin.

He laughed again, “A dinosaur tooth to take home.” He fired off a quick shot that took down the nearest raptor. “Dinosaurs ahead, a lady at my side, about to be blown up... I'm not sure I've ever been happier.”

“Yep,” She grinned, firing at another raptor, “I definitely like you.”

The pair moved quickly, taking down the raptors as quickly as the creatures could leap for them. They worked in sync, back to back as they fired shot after shot, waiting for the others to get them out of danger from the missiles so they could go back to not being in imminent danger of being eaten. She tried not to think of Tricey, knowing that the bolts that had killed the triceratops had been of a much higher and more dangerous power. These were purely to knock the raptors out with no lasting damage done. She breathed a sigh of relief when they were all down, exchanging a glance and a grin with Riddell before looking around, wary of any more creatures lurking in the shadows.

The Doctor stuck his head around the corner and she whirled around, taking aim with the weapon before realising it was him and lowering it with a sigh.

“I come in peace.” He smiled at them, “We're safe. Solomon's gone, the missiles are gone and we're heading away from Earth.”

“Awesome.” She grinned widely at him. “Come on, Riddell. Time to head home, put your feet up.”

He laughed, “Oh I don't think there will be any rest after this adventure.”

“Ah, true enough.” She smiled at him, “But still, back to the TARDIS. We going to walk or teleport?”

“Why don't we walk. Be good to stretch our legs a little. I'll get the Ponds and Nefi.” The Doctor disappeared back into the control deck and a few minutes later returned with Amy, Rory, Brian and Nefertiti in tow. “Right, well the TARDIS isn't too far from here!” He started to walk, the others smiling at each other in relief before following.

It took them about half an hour of walking and dodging dinosaurs before the familiar blue police box came into view. “So!” The Doctor bounded towards it, “Dinosaur drop off time.”

“Actually...” Rory said, following him to the TARDIS, “We think home for us.”

The Doctor stopped in the doorway, “Oh...” he said before turning to them and forcing a smile, “Fine. Of course.”

“Not forever.” Amy added, “Just a couple of months.”

“Right, yes. I'm pretty busy, anyway. I mean, I've got to drop everyone back.” The Doctor replied, still forcing himself to remain cheerful.

“We've still got adventures to have with them.” Hanna said, nudging his arm with her elbow, “Stories that I know happen that we haven't seen yet.”

He perked up at that. “Ah, yes. Of course. Well, good. Right, home...”

“Actually, about that...” Brian stepped forwards. “Can I ask a favour? There's something I want to see.”

“Oh.” The Doctor smiled and nodded, “Of course. Right, everyone in! Home for everyone! But first... Brian's request.”

The others all stepped into the TARDIS, Nefertiti and Riddell talking, Amy and Rory still close together and Brian following them. The Doctor went inside and stopped in the doorway, looking back at Hanna who was hesitating.

“Sorry...” she said quietly before he could say anything. “I just... I couldn't stop him...”

“I know,” he replied softly, “And it's okay. We can't stop everyone and save every life. But we can certainly do our best to try.”

She nodded and smiled slightly at her, “Do you mind if I miss the excitement of sending everyone home?”

“Not at all. Say your goodbyes and go do something to relax. Have you found the library yet?”

She shook her head, “Nope, but I'm looking forward to it.” She followed him into the TARDIS and went over to the Ponds. “Amy, Rory... pleasure as always.” She grinned at them before turning to Brian, “And it's been an honour to meet you. See you again sometime.” She hugged him quickly before turning and hugging Amy and Rory at once. Then she took a deep breath and went over for the much harder goodbyes, the one she didn't know if she would see them again.

“Ah, here's the woman of the hour.” Riddell said as he saw her approach.

Hanna laughed, “Nah, I'm just a better shot than you. Doesn't mean I like shooting.” She clapped him on the shoulders, “Now I'm afraid that I am absolutely exhausted after saving Nefi's people and then going straight into saving an ark of dinosaurs so I'm going to have to love you and leave you. Nefertiti it has been an absolute honour meeting you and I hope it isn't going to be the last time.”

Nefertiti smiled back at her, “And it is good to see that women are not easily swayed by men in your time.” She replied.

“Oh I can hold my own against any mere man, don't you worry about that!” Hanna laughed before turning to Riddell, “Which of course brings me to you...” She pulled him into a hug, “Well done for not getting yourself killed out there. Maybe see you around some time.” She stepped back.

“It would be my privilege.” He replied.

“Oh!” Hanna said, remembering something. She pulled the sheath from around her waist and held it out to him, “This I think belongs to you.”

He reached out to take it before hesitating, “Why don't you keep it, eh? Not that you need anything to protect you but just in case.”

She looked down at it and grinned widely, “Thank you. Thank you both for everything.” She inclined her head to the pair of them before turning and walking away, waving at the Ponds and the Doctor before disappearing into the corridors and breathing a sigh of relief at the peace. Whatever the next adventure would be it could wait until she'd had a good long rest.


	6. A Town Called Mercy

“Ah, Hanna!” The Doctor turned to her as she padded into the console room, wiping the sleep from her eyes.

“You're loud today...” she muttered sleepily.

“No more than usual.” He looked indignantly at her, “You're just grumpy.”

“Not grumpy, tired. And ill...” She muttered.

“What's wrong?” Rory cut in.

She looked up at him and Amy, blinking a couple of times. She hadn't even noticed that they were there. “Nothing really. Just didn't sleep all that well last night and got a headache. Nothing major.”

“You sure?” He frowned, “Anything I can do?”

She shook her head, “Nah. Thanks anyway, though.”

“We're going to the Day of the Dead festival.” The Doctor announced, “You joining us?”

Hanna thought for a moment before shaking her head, “Nah. Not in the mood for that today.” She shrugged, presuming that instead of the festival in Mexico they would end up in Mercy. And as much as it would be fun she really wasn't in the mood for it. They would be fine without her. “Though... you know you promised me some new books...” She looked up at him, perking up slightly.

“Yes...” He replied, “Though how you've run out of things to read in the library here I don't know.”

“Oh, I haven't.” She replied, “But you're missing the last two books of a series I was quite enjoying. Plus you promised me.”

He sighed, “Where do you want to go?”

“The Library.” She answered with a grin.

“Any particular library?” He asked.

“The Library. Just the one with the great big The in front of.”

He nodded slightly, “We'll never find you again.”

“I'm sure you will! Eventually...”

“Yes, well it's the 'eventually' part that I'm worried about.”

Hanna sighed, “Please, Doctor? You promised me a visit and the episode you're going to is boring. Plus I've got a headache and there's far too much shooting in it for my liking. I could really do with going somewhere nice and awesome and quiet.” She grinned at him, “Please?”

He sighed, “Oh, fine. I'll drop you off and then pick you up again after the festival.”

“Deal. How long do I get?” She grinned wider.

“I don't know. A week? Will that be long enough?” He started to change the coordinates, now heading to The Library rather than Mexico.

She thought for a moment before nodding, “Yeah, a week sounds good. Hopefully that'll be enough time to find everything I want.”

“Well it better be. I have better things to do rather than chase you around a library.” He retorted, not looking up at her.

She laughed, “Then yes. A week. Where shall I meet you?”

“Oh that shouldn't be a problem.” He went over and snapped a device around her wrist.

She flinched back instinctively, “What's that?”

“Teleport.” He replied, “It'll start flashing when I activate it and from then you'll have twenty minutes before you're teleported back to the TARDIS.”

“No. That's not fair! This is kiddy reins!” She looked up at him, flaring with indignation, “I'm not being on a leash!”

“It's the teleport or not at all. I know what you're like, Rosehanna MacKay. I give you free reign in a library the size of a planet without a set way of getting you to come back you never will.”

She hesitated, about to argue more but realised that he was right. Instead she just huffed, folding her arms and seating herself on her railing.

“We're almost there.” The Doctor told her a couple of minutes later, “Go get yourself ready.”

Hanna was still sulking about the teleporter but she looked up and smiled at him, “Aye, sure. I'll get my bag and stuff.” She replied before jumping off the rail and going back out into the corridors.

“Are you sure this is a good idea?” Rory asked the Doctor as she left, “Letting her go off on her own if she's sick?”

“Oh she'll be fine. Plus she's right, I did promise her a visit. She's stubborn but wouldn't do something that would put herself in danger. At least not intentionally. If she thinks she's well enough to visit The Library then she is. And anyway...” he lowered his voice slightly, “That teleporter is linked to the TARDIS. If she starts to show any proper ill effects or anything bad happens to her it'll work kind of like River's vortex manipulator, bringing her back into the TARDIS console room. It'll only happen though if she collapses or doesn't eat for more than two days.”

“She'll be livid if it does happen,” Amy pointed out, joining their conversation.

“Oh most definitely,” The Doctor replied, “But it keeps her safe. I'll let her know that it's monitoring her condition to make sure she doesn't do something monumentally stupid. But as I said, it'll only take effect if her life is in danger.”

“She'll still be livid. She hates the idea of the teleport anyway.” Rory added.

“Yes, I noticed that, thanks.” The Doctor sighed, “Look, there's nothing else I can do.”

“About what?” Hanna entered the console room again, looking at the three of them.

The Doctor looked over at her, “Well, the thing is...” He glanced at the others as if they'd take over from him. When they didn't he continued, “The teleporter bracelet. It's also a more primitive version of a vortex manipulator.”

“Like the one River and Jack have?” Hanna asked, “So what?”

“Well if it thinks your life is in danger then it'll bring you back to the TARDIS, no matter where you are. It really is rather clever.” He grinned at her.

Her eyes narrowed, “What constitutes are my life being in danger?”

“Oh not all that much. Obvious things like you almost being killed... but if you pass out for instance. I've programmed it with how your body reacts when you're sleeping normally but any sudden lapses of consciousness will cause it to bring you back. Also if you don't take in any nutrients for 48 hours.”

Hanna growled softly and rolled her eyes, “Oh great! So I'm not just on a leash, I'm also being tracked and monitored all the bloody time!”

“We're just worried about you,” Rory put in before she could say any more. “You said earlier you weren't feeling well and we just want to make sure you're not going to get worse when you're somewhere we can't help you.”

She growled softly again but sighed, “Well fine. As I don't have a choice in the matter. But I'm not bloody happy about this, Doctor. I just want to make it known that I am _ really _ not happy!”

“I noticed.” He said, going back to the controls. “But we've landed so off you go and have fun! We'll be back for you in a week. You sure you don't want to come to the day of the dead festival with us?”

She nodded, “Absolutely sure. I'd much rather spend a week in The Library. It's quiet for a start and as much as I do want to see the day of the dead festival at some point I am really not in the mood for it right now. See you later.” She went over and opened the doors to the TARDIS, looking out and grinning in delight before waving at them all over her shoulder and stepping outside.

There were bookshelves as far as the eye could see and she started to walk, examining the hundreds of books on the shelves around her. The place was quiet but not in an eerie way. The not quite silence was that of hundreds of people sharing the same space with a mutual respect for each other mixed with sheer awe at the size of the place around them. The telepathic link she had with the TARDIS still translated the book titles for her and she almost instantly found loads of things that she wanted to read. She ran a hand through her hair and turned away from the shelf, starting her search for the book she actually wanted.

 

The next week passed far too quickly for her liking. She made sure she ate and slept regularly enough for the 'still bloody stupid' teleport device on her wrist to not 'get worried' and teleport her back to the TARDIS.

She was walking through the shelves, running her fingers over the spines of the books when the device started to flash with a blue light. She looked down at it and sighed softly, turning away from what she was doing and going back to where she had stored her bag. She had been allowed to keep it in a small storage space nearby so that she didn't have to carry it around with her all the time but now she had a time limit so that she could get it back again. There was no way she'd even consider leaving without it. Glancing around she started to walk faster, knowing that she should have enough time but even so she didn't want to misjudge it and vanish just before she managed to grab it.

With five minutes to spare she picked up her bag and slumped down into a comfortable chair, opening it and checking through all her items to make sure she had everything. Once she was sure and happy about it she zipped closed the bag and sat back, closing her eyes. She didn't have long to wait, the flashing light on the teleporter bracelet getting faster before it activated and she got to her feet just as the world gave way beneath her.

“I hate teleports!” She exclaimed as soon as the solid floor of the TARDIS console room was beneath her feet once more.

“Oh, hello to you too!” The Doctor replied, turning to face her.

“Well if you do insist on teleporting me home instead of coming to fetch me like any normal person!” She folded her arms before grinning at him.

He laughed and grinned back, “Have fun?”

“Oh, tonnes! I love it there so much! Can we go back again?”

“Maybe later.” He replied, “Come and have a look at this.” He pointed at the screen but didn't elaborate until she was beside him, “Some kind of temporal anomaly.”

“What's causing it?” She asked.

“No idea. Shall we go check it out?”

“Oh hell yeah! The others back home?”

“Yup.” He started to move around the console, setting them in flight, “Just the two of us.”

“Sounds like fun,” She grinned at him, “I'll go dump my stuff, change my clothes and all that jazz.” She moved off down the corridor into her room, dumping her bag on her bed and she got changed, pulling off her hoodie and t-shirt and exchanging them for some clean clothes out of her wardrobe. She looked in the mirror and pulled down the sides of the tight fitting leather jacket as the TARDIS lurched to one side. She put a hand out to stop herself falling and waited for the shaking to settle before running a brush through her hair and leaving the room again.

“I've found the source of the signal,” The Doctor told her as she entered the console room.

“Cool, where's it coming from?” She perched herself onto her usual railing, watching him as he darted around the console.

“A spaceship in the Earth's atmosphere. I've done scans and checks and it all fits as being perfectly normal apart from this signal which I now can't lock on to. It's almost as if they don't want anyone to know they're there.”

“Can we get on board?” She asked.

“I've tried but we bounced off.” He replied, not looking up from the controls.

“Ah, so that was what that was.” She smiled, “What's the plan then?”

“I'm going to try to land on Earth, see if there's any way I can get onto the ship from there.”

She grinned, “Awesome.”  


He looked up at her and grinned back, “Might be a bumpy landing.” He replied, pulling on the main lever.


	7. Power of Three - Part 1

“So what are we going to do?” Hanna was perched on the railing, watching the Doctor.

“Oh I dunno, maybe go check on the Ponds. Haven't seen them for a while.” He replied, not looking up at her.

She swallowed, “You've only just dropped them off. And you know, one day they are going to need to get on with their lives.”

“Ah, no, to you I've only just dropped them off. I may have got a bit distracted on my way to get you.” He admitted, “But even so, that doesn't mean we can't go to visit them today.”

She shrugged, “True enough. We've still got adventures to have!”

He looked up at her and grinned as the TARDIS landed, “Exactly, Hanna. Come on!” He ran for the door and she followed behind him, stopping as he stopped, “What are those?” he asked, pointing from the doorway.

She frowned and stood up on tiptoes to see over his shoulder, “Cubes. Hundreds of identical black cubes...” She swallowed, “Shall we go investigate? They might have something to do with that anomaly you detected.”

“I think we better.” He went over and picked one up, scanning it with the sonic and 'hmm'ing at the result it came up with. “Also, that's a very good point. We should stick around. See what we can find.” While Hanna crouched and picked up one of the cubes the Doctor bounded over to the nearby climbing frame in the park and scaled it, perching himself on top and plucking another cubes from where it was balanced on the ropes and starting to examine it.

Hanna looked up at him and laughed, part of her enjoying being on Earth in the early morning light. It was peaceful, not many people were up at this hour. She watched with a grin as Brian Williams ran down the road towards the house owned by Amy and Rory, not noticing her standing there in his hurry. From where she was, she could see Amy and Rory open the window and lean out but couldn't hear the conversation between them. Grinning she ran down the road to join them as the front door opened and the – still slightly sleepy – couple stepped out, “Hiya. Lovely morning isn't it. Aren't these cubes weird!” She tossed the one she was holding to Rory who fumbled slightly but managed to catch it.

“So, the Doctor's around then.” Rory sighed, “Why am I not surprised. What's going on?”

“Invasion of the little black cubes.” Hanna informed them happily, “He's over there.” She pointed towards the Doctor, who had his back to them and was now examining the cubes with a small magnifying glass he'd got out of one of his pockets.

“So how have you been, Hanna?” Brian asked while Amy went over to talk to the Doctor.

Hanna shrugged, “Can't complain really. A couple of near scrapes and I very nearly ended up married to Queen Elizabeth XIII. Lovely woman, not really my type though.”

Brian nodded slightly, “Sounds like you're enjoying it though.”

“Oh hell yeah,” she grinned at him, “Every second. I'll tell you what though, it's never dull. I'm looking forward to being able to relax a little.”

“Why don't you come in?” Rory suggested as Amy and the Doctor walked over to them.

“Could do, but I need my TARDIS.” The Doctor grinned and slapped him on the shoulder, “Anywhere inside I could park?”

“Um... behind the sofa, I guess.” Rory shrugged, “Probably the best place.”

“Excellent. Put the kettle on.” He nodded slightly to Brian before turning and was off down the street back towards the TARDIS.

“A cuppa does sound like a good idea right about now.” Hanna smiled, “We can talk about this all more once he gets back with the TARDIS.”

The group of them went into the house and sat in the living room watching the television until – five minutes later – the TARDIS materialised exactly where they had said, in the living room behind the sofa. Automatically Hanna went over and pushed the door open, the others all following her inside.

The Doctor was examining one of the cubes, talking half to himself as he went around the console, “All absolutely identical. Not a single molecule's difference between them. No blemishes, imperfections, individualities...”

“What if they're bombs?” Brian asked and the others looked up at him, “Billions of tiny bombs? Or transport capsules, maybe, with a mini robot inside? Or deadly hard drives? Or alien eggs? Or messages needing decoding? Or they're all part of a bigger whole. Jigsaw puzzles that need fitting together.”

“Honestly Brian, you were closer with bombs.” Hanna smiled at them, perching herself on the rail.

“You know this one then?” The Doctor asked her.

“Yep.” She grinned at him.

“Can you not just tell us what they are then?” Rory asked.

Hanna hesitated, “But if I do then things will work out differently. And I don't know how much that will effect the way things end or happen in the future, really I cannae tell ye anything at all about it.”

Rory glanced from her to the others, “Has anyone else noticed that whenever Hanna gets asked about things that happen in the future she talks with a stronger accent?”

“Yeah, I'd spotted that.” Amy replied, “It's kind of weird.”

“Useful though.” The Doctor interrupted, plucking the cube from Brian's hand and threw it in the air, catching it again, “Like a spoilers voice.”

“Oh I like that!” Hanna grinned, “Spoilers voice. We're totally calling it that from now on.”

The Doctor grinned at her, “Right, stay here Brian. Watch these.” He piled a couple of cubes into Brian's hands, “Yell if anything happens.” He turned and moved towards the door.

“Doctor, is this an alien invasion? Because that's what it feels like.” Amy said as she moved to follow him.

“There couldn't be life forms in every cube, could there?” Rory added.

“I don't know.” The Doctor replied, picking up equipment, “And I really don't like not knowing.” He nodded for Amy and Rory to pick up some more equipment before leaving the TARDIS, talking to them over his shoulder.

Hanna smiled and patted Brian on the shoulder as she jumped off the railing, “See you later. I'll join them and then go into the TARDIS library for a while. She has my phone number so give me a ring if you need anything.” She flashed him a grin before leaving, heading towards the Pond's kitchen.

“What do you think we do when we're not with you?” Rory asked the Doctor as she entered the room.

“I imagine mostly kissing.” The Doctor replied honestly.

Hanna laughed, “Oh Doctor, you really have no idea about real life...”

Amy looked over at them, “I write travel articles for magazines and Rory heals the sick.”

“My shift starts in an hour.” Rory said, checking the time, “You don't know where my scrubs are?”

Amy smiled, “In the lounge, where you left them.”

Hanna laughed as Rory left, “Strange place to leave your work clothes. Well, strange place to leave any clothes really. Unless they're clean and folded and just haven't been taken upstairs yet, dad used to do that and expect Marc to take his pile up. He never did though. He was strange, that boy...”

“Marc?” Amy asked, “Who's Marc?”

Hanna looked up at her, “Oh, my younger brother. He's a bit useless. Or at least he was when I left. Used to get himself into all sorts of trouble that I had to help him get out of. But he was my little brother... and he needed me around so I stayed.”

“What about your own life?” Amy asked her, going over to help the Doctor with whatever he was doing as he built his makeshift lab.

“I was going to go to uni. But he'd still need me. So I made sure I'd be close enough I could go to him. I kind of felt like I owed him that much...”

“Why?” Amy glanced at her.

“It... doesn't matter. It's not important now, anyway. They're all gone. Or I am... stuck in a different universe where my favourite TV show is real. About as far away from home as I can be.” She smiled at her. “I'm happy though. And what about you? You've got your life and your house and everything.”

Amy laughed slightly, “You know,” She glanced at the Doctor, “We think it's been about ten years. Not for you or for Earth but for us. Ten years older, ten years of you. On and off.”

“Look at you now...” the Doctor said, slightly sadly, “All grown up.” He smiled at her.

Hanna was about to open her mouth and say something when there was a crash from the front door and suddenly a stream of soldiers dressed in black and holding guns burst in. “Trap One, kitchen secured.” The soldier in front of them said and over their radios the could hear another voice reply with “Trap Three, back garden secured.”

Hanna laughed and clapped her hands together in glee as Rory walked into the kitchen with his hands in the air. He was wearing the shirt part of his scrubs but his legs were bare, “There are soldiers all over my house and I'm in my pants!” He exclaimed in a 'why does this always seem to happen to me' kind of voice.

“Yeah but you're Rory. And you're kind of awesome. And it's really funny.” Hanna grinned at him.

Amy sighed and looked at Rory, “You know, my whole life I've dreamed of saying that and I miss it by being someone else.” She shook her head slightly.

Hanna nudged the Doctor with her elbow, “Try not to look too pleased about Rory in his pants. People might start to wonder...” she teased.

He turned to her and frowned slightly, about to reply when a female voice interrupted him.

“All these muscles and they still don't know how to knock.” A woman with jaw length blonde hair stepped between the soldiers and into the kitchen. Hanna stared at her, folding her arms in order to stop her instinctive reaction of either flailing or saluting. She wasn't quite sure which was more likely.

“Sorry about the raucous entrance,” the woman continued, “spike in artron energy reading at this address. In the light of the last 24 hours we had to check it out and, the dogs do love a run out.” She glanced briefly at the soldiers standing to attention behind her before looking back at the group of them. “Hello. Kate Stewart, Head of Scientific Research at UNIT. And with dress sense like that...” She pulled a device and scanned the Doctor, “You must be the Doctor.”

He smiled and gave her a salute, glancing slightly at Hanna who did the same, grinning and standing slightly taller.

Kate smiled, “I hoped it'd be you.”

The Doctor clapped his hands, “Tell me, since when did science run the military, Kate?”

“Since me. UNIT's been adapting. Well, I dragged them along.” She replied. “Kicking and screaming which makes it sound like more fun than it actually was.”

“You've done a good job of it.” Hanna grinned, “And it is an absolute honour to meet you.”

Kate glanced at her, “Thank you, I do try. Though I don't know how you would know.”

“What do we know about these cubes?” The Doctor asked, “Excluding Hanna because she doesn't count. She knows everything.”

“We know far less than we need to.” Kate replied, looking at them with a gaze which left them in no doubt that she had questions that would have to be answered. “We've been freighting them in from around the world for testing. So far we've subjected them to temperatures of plus and minus 200 Celsius, simulated a water depth of five miles, dropped one out of a helicopter at 10,000 feet and rolled our best tank over it. Always intact.”

“That's impressive.” The Doctor replied, leaning on the table, “I don't want them to be impressive, I want them vulnerable with a nice Achilles heel.”

“We don't know how they got here, what they're made of or why they're here.”

“And all around the world people are picking them up and taking them home.” The Doctor picked one off the table and threw it up in the air, Hanna snatched it away before he could catch it.

“Like iPads have dropped from the sky.” Kate confirmed, “Taking them to work, taking pictures, making films, posting them on Flickr and YouTube. Within three hours the cubes had a thousand separate twitter accounts.”

“Twitter...” The Doctor murmured gravely.

“I've recommended we treat this as a hostile incursion. Gather them all up and lock them in a secure facility but that would take massive international agreement and cooperation.”

“Best thing to do though...” Hanna said thoughtfully, turning the cube in her hands over and picking at one corner, “Keep them out of the way...”

“We'd need evidence though.” The Doctor mused out loud, “The cubes arrived in plain sight, in vast quantities as the sun rose. So, what does that tell us?” He put his arms around Amy and Rory's shoulders, looking across the table at Kate.

“Maybe they wanted to be seen. Noticed.” Amy suggested.

“Or more than that, the want to be observed.” The Doctor continued, “So we observe them, stay with them. Round the clock, watch the cubes, day and night. Record absolutely everything about them. Team cube, it in together!”

Hanna laughed, “Go team cube! I'll stay out of it though, if you don't mind. If we're going to be hanging around for a while I've got some reading to be catching up on.”

“Oh Hanna, where's your team spirit?” The Doctor asked.

“In the library?” She ventured hopefully.

Amy laughed, “Right, so let's get started then.”

“Right.” Kate agreed, “Though before I go, I wondered if I could have a private word with you.” She pointed at Hanna.

“Sure thing.” Hanna threw the cube she was holding to Rory, who fumbled slightly but caught it, “Inside the TARDIS or out?”

“Out.” Kate decided firmly, “Let's go for a walk around the park or something.”

“Okay, awesome. Though really I would have thought you'd love a chance to have a look around. Though I suppose it did take your dad years...” Hanna grinned at her.

Kate raised an eyebrow before nodding to the soldiers, “We're done here. I won't be more than ten minutes.” She said as she wound her way down the hall and outside, Hanna following her. They ended up sitting together on a bench in the deserted park.

“So.” Hanna said, glancing at her, “What did you want to talk about Kate Lethbridge-Stewart?”

“So you know who I am then?” Kate replied.

“Of course. I know a lot about the Doctor. His past and future.” She shrugged, “It's kind of hard at times but I'm pretty used to it by now.”

Kate nodded slightly, “You know, my father told me about you. Well, he mentioned a slightly odd Scottish girl who appeared from nowhere the first time he encountered the Doctor. Said that she knew the future and then left in a different TARDIS.”

“Sounds like me. Though did he really call me slightly odd.” She mused before stopping, fully realising what Kate had said, “No, hang on. I haven't met your dad. I'd absolutely love to one day but I haven't yet!”

“Ah...” Kate started.

“But no, that's awesome! I get to meet him! And early on too! You said the first time he encounters the Doctor which is before UNIT gets set up. In fact it's what makes UNIT get set up I think. Oh this is amazing! That's the Web of Fear, it's one of my favourite stories EVER!”

“How do you know so much?” Kate asked, ignoring the girl's excitement.

“You're my favourite TV show.” Hanna replied simply. “I'm from an alternate universe where this is just an awesome TV show. It's been running for over 50 years. You're in the anniversary special.”

Kate was quiet for a moment as she took in this information, “Is there really nothing you can tell us about these cubes?”

“Not really. Not apart from they are dangerous. But as the Doctor said, there's no evidence apart from my word and as I'm just a 'slightly odd Scottish girl' who would really believe me? Apart from you lot who know that aliens and time travel and alternate timelines exist.”

Kate nodded, “We need solid proof if we're going to do anything about it.”

“Yep.” Hanna bounced to her feet, “Was there anything else you wanted, Kate?”

She shook her head and stood up, “Nothing I can think of at the moment, though I'll let you know if we come up with anything.”

“Cool, I'll be staying in the TARDIS. The library there is amazing, so many books that haven't been printed yet. I'm catching up with the ones I started reading before I got here.”

Kate nodded slightly, shaking her hand before walking over to where the soldiers were waiting. Once she was out of earshot, Hanna let out a squeak of excitement. She bounced her way back to the Pond's house and went inside, ignoring the Doctor, Amy and Rory who was sitting on the sofa with a small stack of cubes in front of them. She went into the TARDIS and past Brian who waved slightly to acknowledge her before she went through the corridors and to the library, settling herself in her favourite chair and starting to read.

Four days later Hanna padded into the console room carrying two steaming mugs. She was wearing her comfy hoodie and a pair of faded jeans she'd found that were slightly too big for her, “How's it going, Brian?” She asked as she moved around the console and placed one of the mugs in the step beside him before slumping into the spare seat, “Any change?”

“None whatsoever.” He smiled slightly at her as he picked up the mug and took a sip of the tea, “Thanks for this, Hanna.”

“No worries, figured that if we're both going to be here then I might as well. I know my way around the place and it's much easier than you getting lost. It's nice in here.” She smiled back at him and she sipped her own drink. “I used to spend a lot of time with my dad... you're awesome anyway but you do kind of remind me of him. It's... comforting.”

“You miss him?”

She sighed and nodded, “Yeah. A lot more than I'd tell the Doctor, he'd only worry. Being here is amazing and all that but... yeah... yeah, I really miss my dad. And my little brother... we didn't always see eye to eye but...” she sighed, “There's not really a time when I don't think about them...”

He nodded slightly, “What about you mum?”

“She left... when I was five. I don't really remember her...” she replied in a small voice, acutely aware that she'd said a lot more than she would have done normally. Then again with the prospect of being stuck on Earth for the next year being a very real possibility she felt very small and lonely. Usually she avoided talking about her old life, finding it too difficult to think about them and knowing that she might not ever get home. She missed them all the time, like a constant ache. As much as she was loving every day of being in the TARDIS she missed her family and her friends. She was just about to say something else, make some excuse to get away before her voice became too choked up to speak and the tears of loneliness spilled from her eyes when the TARDIS door opened suddenly and the Doctor strode in, Amy and Rory following in his wake. Hanna let out a little squeak and ran, disappearing back into the corridors before anyone could say or do anything about it.

“What's going on?” Rory asked, looking towards where Hanna had gone.

“We were talking.” Brian replied, “She was telling me a bit about her family back at home.”

“Is she okay?” Rory pressed, his nursing instinct kicking in.

“I think so, yeah. Though she seemed a little upset. Homesick, probably.”

Rory looked around at the others, “I'll just go check on her.”

The Doctor looked up, as if only just noticing something had happened, “Oh, yes. Right well she'll probably be in the the library. Or her bedroom. Or if you can find it, Jamie's bedroom.”

“Jamie?”

“I travelled with him a long time ago, Hanna knows a lot about him. She likes to spend time in there particularly when she's a bit upset.” He started to give Rory a series of detailed instructions on how to get to the places he'd just mentioned.

Rory held up a hand, “I'll find her.” He moved over to the door they'd seen Hanna disappear though, deciding to check her room first as it was the closest to the console room.

 

Rory spent the next half an hour wandering through the corridors, getting more and more frustrated, “Look!” He held his hands out and turned on the spot as he once again ended up inside the now empty console room, “I know she's upset and all I want is to make sure she's okay and, you're really not helping!”

After a moment there was a small click of something unlocking deep within the TARDIS. A door on the far side of the room swung slightly ajar.

“Thank you!” Rory made he way across the room and through the door into the corridor beyond. It wasn't somewhere he'd seen before but he had an idea where it might lead to. The corridors looked older than the ones in the parts of the TARDIS he'd been to, dusty roundels set into the walls. “Hanna?” He stopped outside the only door he could see and knocked lightly, “Hanna are you there? Are you okay?” The only response he got was a muffled sniff.

After a moment he slowly opened the door and went inside, looking around at the old fashioned décor before turning his attention to the girl stretched out on the bed, her face pressed into the pillow.

“Go away...” Hanna mumbled into the pillow, “Just... Just go away...” her voice was thick with tears.

Rory stood in the doorway for a moment before sighing and going over to the bed, “Hanna, what happened? What's wrong?” He hesitantly perched on the edge of the bed and placed a hand on her shoulder, “I want to help you.”

“B-But you can't...! I want to go home! I want my dad!” She gripped the pillow tighter, curling up with her back to Rory, “I just want things to be normal again...! I don't want to be here, I don't want to be in a world where I know what's going to happen next!”

“Oh Hanna... why didn't you tell us any of this before?”

“I didn't know before! But just talking with your dad... he's so brilliant. Just... Just seeing you acting like a family, I want my family. I want my real, proper family.”

“Hanna...” Rory started.

“But I can't.” She cut across him, “I'm stuck here... in this world... without anyone I really care about.” She looked up at him, “And I don't know what to do.”

He thought for a moment, “Do you have a family here? Like, if this is a parallel world there might be a parallel version of your family.”

She sniffed, sitting up and rubbing her eyes, “I don't know... I never really thought about it. But what if they've got their own Hanna? They won't want me around.”

“They might. You never know...”

“No...” She mused, “You don't... thanks Rory.” She smiled slightly at him, “I might just... go back to my room and stick a DVD on... hot chocolate and some very old black and white Doctor Who.”

Rory nodded slightly, “Well it's not like we're going anywhere.”

“Nope. Not for a year.” Hanna agreed, “Plenty of time to watch my DVDs and catch up with reading.”

Rory nodded as he got up, “Will you be okay?”

Sighing softly, Hanna shrugged, “Probably.” She got to her feet, “I always am. Plus Kate said some stuff that I need to think through. I've never met her dad. But apparently I will at some point.” She smiled at him before walking over to the door, “This room... it's really special to me... I feel close to him, you know? He was completely out of his time...”

Rory nodded slightly, “I know the feeling. Not really belonging where you end up...”

Hanna smiled wider, “Yeah, I suppose you do. Thanks, Rory. See you later.” She left the room and turned right, heading deeper into the TARDIS while Rory glanced around and turned left, going back to the console room.

“Hanna!” The Doctor's voice echoed down the corridors, “Get dressed and come here!”

Hanna sighed as she heard the voice, hitting pause on her DVD and getting out of bed. She quickly changed out of the baggy jeans and hoodie into her bomber jacket and a tighter fitting pair of jeans. She slipped on a pair of scruffy converse before grabbing her bag off the desk and accidentally knocking the box for the DVD she'd been watching onto the floor. She was just stooping to pick it up when a second yell of “Hanna!” echoed down the halls and – leaflet still in hand – she legged it out of the room.

“What is it?” She asked as she skidded into the console room, looking at the Doctor.

“You're going on a trip. It's a surprise trip and I hope you're prepared.” He replied from where he was at the console, examining a readout.

“If it's a surprise how can I prepare?” She asked teasingly, leaning against the railing.

He glanced up at her, “You're fine like that.” He pulled a lever and the TARDIS settled. He looked at her expectantly, “Well, off you pop. I'll pick you up later.”

“Any clue where I'm going? At all?” She asked as she went over to the doors and opened them.

He smiled at her, “You might see a couple of familiar faces.” He replied slightly cryptically.

Sighing as she realised she wouldn't get any more out of him Hanna opened the door and peered outside. It was very dark, “Any chance of a torch?” She asked, looking back inside.

“Oh, it's never good enough, is it?” He muttered, getting one out and throwing it to her. “Now go, have fun. I'll see you later.”

She grinned, “See you, Doctor.” She replied as she disappeared outside and closed the door behind her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The chapters following this will be set in a past episode "The Web of Fear". It is one of my all time favourite stories and I had to include it in this


	8. The Web of Fear - Part 1

“Where have you brought me, old girl?” Hanna murmured softly as she stepped cautiously out of the TARDIS door. She realised still had the booklet from inside the Web of Fear case so stuffed it into the pocket of her bomber jacket before very slowly stepping outside. She turned and closed the door to the TARDIS before surveying her surroundings properly. She was inside a long dark tunnel, her eyes struggling to adjust to the gloom so she could only see a few feet in front of her. She fumbled slightly with the torch and clicked it on before looking around properly. There were train tracks on the ground and she listened carefully for the tell tale crackle of electricity before slowly starting to walk, sweeping her torch along the ground and just about being able to make out the shadowy figures of rats as they scuttled instinctively away from the beam. A rattling groan of engines sounded behind her and she swung around in fear, just in time to see the TARDIS dematerialise, leaving her completely alone in this dark tunnel. She sighed softly before slowly starting to walk again, continuing in the direction she had been going and being as cautious as she could, sticking to the walls and making sure she knew where the indentations in the tunnel walls were just in case a train did come along. The tunnel was silent though, the only sounds were the rats moving around and her own footsteps and breathing.

She could hear more footsteps echoing off the walls but couldn't tell whether they were her own or belonged to someone else. She stopped and shrank against the wall to listen. The footsteps continued. There was definitely someone else in the tunnel with her. She considered switching off her torch but didn't want to be completely in the dark and give whoever it was an opportunity to ambush her. The footsteps moving closer and past the curve of the tunnel she could now see a bobbing light. Another torch. _Probably a maintenance guy_ she mused silently as she watched.

“Is anyone there?” A male voice called out. Hanna frowned, she was sure she recognised that voice but couldn't place where from. “I can see your torchlight, you know.”

Slowly she moved away from the wall and started to walk towards them. As she got closer to them she pointed the beam upwards so that it would illuminate their face. She saw the smart army uniform, completely with a stupid looking hat, and took a moment to properly take in the sharp features and thin moustache on the man in front of her before she grinned. She stopped, “This is... hi.”

“Who are you?” He asked, “These tunnels are all sealed, a civilian shouldn't be able to get inside.”

“It's a long story, sir.” She replied, “And if I'm right, I'm not the only one.”

“You entered these tunnels with someone else? How did you get in?” The man asked.

“No, I was on my own. And I kind of just arrived here, I've got a friend – he isn't here by the way – and he has a thing called a TARDIS. And I got here in that. It's a time machine.”

“You really expect me to believe that fanciful story?” He raised an eyebrow.

“Not really.” She admitted, “Thing is, Brigadier, one day you will believe it.”

“It's Colonel, actually.” He informed her, “Colonel Lethbridge-Stewart. Now, if you wouldn't mind coming with me.”

She grinned wider, “Sorry... Sorry, Colonel. But that means I am right! We should get going.”

“Yes... I think you've got some explaining to do.”

“Later, I promise.” She grinned at him, “Though you probably won't believe me anyway.”

“Hmm...” He looked at her in suspicion for a moment before nodding slightly and starting to walk, “We've got a decent march ahead of us before we reach the base. So you can explain on the way.”

She sighed, “Okay fine. And I'm not going to attempt to lie or deceive you because honestly I don't think there's any point. We are in the London Underground which has been blocked off because since the Yeti disappeared from the museum the underground system has slowly but surely been filling with an alien web fungus thing that has killed many people. So you did the sensible thing of closing it all off. We're on our way to your base and on the way we will pass Charing Cross where we will encounter a man who calls himself 'The Doctor'. He's wearing checked trousers, a slightly scruffy black jacket and a bow tie. We will then proceed to your base to find that his friends Victoria Waterfield and Jamie McCrimmon have already been located but after finding out that the station was going to be blown up – which is wasn't because of the web that the Yeti's created – Jamie has escaped and in somewhere in the tunnels. Oh and there's a spy for the Great Intelligence in your base already, and some journalist bloke that I can't remember the name of.”

“Do you really expect me to believe that? How would you know what's going to happen anyway?” He asked her.

“I told you, I'm a time traveller. Well, I said I got here in a time machine which kind of implies time traveller. I know all about your future Br-Colonel. Well, I know a good amount. Well, I know you're going to do some really great things.”

“How do I know you're not just making things up to try to get me to trust you?”

She stopped walking, “Colonel Alastair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart. I may be many things but I am not a liar.”

He looked back at her before nodding, “All right, well let's keep moving. If we're going to find this Doctor bloke of yours.”

“He's not of mine... but yeah, you're right.” She took a step forward but hesitated for him to lead the way. She'd only been to London once before she'd met the Doctor and that had been on a school trip when she was fourteen.

They walked in silence for a while before the light from the torches caught the outline of a figure in the distance. They slowed down, watching the figure. “Might I suggest we approach with caution?” Hanna said softly. “You know, just in case it's a Yeti...” The figure seemed to have its back to them and was too far away to properly identify.

“Just what I was about to say.” He replied. They picked their way slowly forwards, keeping their torches trained on the mysterious figure ahead of them. Hearing them and noticing the light, the figure turned around and now their torch beams were illuminating a reasonably short man with an interesting face and dark hair.

“Doctor!” Hanna exclaimed, moving forwards and shaking his hand vigorously.

“Have we met before?” He asked with a kind smile, “It's wonderful to meet you.”

She laughed, “Not yet. You don't meet me for a long time. I just took a quick jaunt down your timeline. With your future self's permission of course.”

“Ah I see.” He looked over her shoulder at the Colonel, “And who might you be?”

“Colonel Lethbridge-Stewart.” The man replied, “What are you doing in these tunnels?”

“Oh just trying to get a handle on what's been going on. Perhaps you could fill me in?”

“I'm afraid I can't do that at the moment. I'm going to have to escort the pair of you back to base and then we'll decide what the next course of action should be.”

“Sounds good to me,” Hanna grinned, looking at the Doctor, “I'm Hanna by the way. Hanna MacKay. Oh and don't worry about Jamie and Zoe. Well, they're both in the tunnels but they're perfectly safe.”

“And getting into trouble no doubt.” The Doctor replied, “Lead the way, Colonel.”

 

They walked down the tunnel, the only sound being their own footsteps.

“Doctor?” They heard a soft female voice ahead of them, “Doctor is that you?” She sounded scared.

“One moment,” The Colonel called to her as she went to walk away from them, causing her to squeal in shock and wheel round.

“Victoria!” The Doctor grinned and moved forwards to greet his friend.

“Oh Doctor! Thank goodness I've found you!” The girl exclaimed. She was wearing a knee length dress and had a long string of beads around her neck. “Are you all right?”

“Well,” The Doctor started.

“W-Who's this?” Victoria interrupted before he could get very far.

“Well, you see, Victoria...” The Doctor started to speak again but this time it was the Colonel who cut him off.

“Before you start this rapturous reunion, there are one of two questions I'd like answered. For a start, is there anyone else down here playing hide and seek?”

“W-W-Well...” Victoria stammered.

Hanna sighed, “Yes. There's their friend Jamie, Scottish lad. And the driver of the ammunition party that brought you here. Welsh coward called Evans.”

“You do seem to know a lot about us,” The Doctor looked at her.

“And I've already told you how.” She smiled at him, “Also, it saves time.”

“Where is Jamie, Victoria?” The Doctor wanted to know what he'd missed.

“He came out to look for you,” She told him.

“Out?” The Colonel queried, “Out from where?”

“The base at Goodge Street. That's where the HQ is for the soldiers that are down here, also where Professor and Anne Travers are working.” Hanna told him, “A couple of people found Jamie and Victoria in the tunnels and took them back there but when they found out that the tunnel was going to be blown Jamie decided to sneak out and find the Doctor and Victoria then followed him.”

“Travers?” The Doctor looked at them, “What do you mean Travers?”

“It's the same man we met in Tibet,” Victoria told him, “I've come to warn you. He thinks you're responsible for the Yeti.”

“Oh, does he?” The Colonel said suspiciously, “The plot thickens, doesn't it?”

“Not really, Brig-Colonel,” Hanna replied. “Travers doesn't really think that, he and Anne were just speculating and Victoria left before she could hear him defending the Doctor.” She grinned, “Shouldn't we be getting on to Goodge Street, sir?”

The Colonel nodded to her, “Quite right. Lead on.”

“Come along, Victoria...” The Doctor said quietly and the group of four started to walk along the tunnel again, the darkness quickly swallowing up the light from their torches and making it hard to see where they were going.

“I'm Hanna by the way,” She said to Victoria as they walked.

Victoria smiled at her and nodded, “It's good to meet you. How did you get into the tunnels?”

“Same way you did,” Hanna laughed, “But probably best not to tell anyone exactly how we get around. Basically though, I know the Doctor in the future. Quite a long way into the future, actually.”

“But you know about us?” Victoria was confused, “Did he tell you?”

“Not exactly...” Hanna said slowly, “I'm also from a parallel universe. It's kind of complicated and I don't really want to get into it now.”

“Here we are,” The Colonel interrupted them as they reached Goodge Street. He took the lead, taking them purposefully up the steps.

“Halt!” Someone inside instructed them.

“I'm Colonel Lethbridge-Stewart, I found myself in the tunnels and was informed of the base here by these civilians. I believe you have already met Miss, uh...” he hesitated, looking at Victoria.

“Waterfield,” She supplied. “Victoria Waterfield.”

“Miss Waterfield,” The Colonel continued, “Also, this man is the Doctor. I have been informed that they are acquainted with Professor Travers and wish to speak with him if that can be arranged.”

The soldier confirmed that they had already met Victoria before calling someone over to them. The man gave them instructions before the group of new arrivals were led through the base to the common room. They sat down and one of the men stayed in the room with them while the other went to inform his superiors of their arrival.

“Nice place,” Hanna commented, leaned back on her chair. She certainly seemed to be the most at ease in this place. The Colonel was standing to one side with his hands held behind his back and was talking to the soldier that had been left to guard them, while the Doctor and Victoria were seated at the table, deep in conversation. She looked up as the door was opened and closed again, watching as a soldier went over to the Colonel.

“Good afternoon,” The Colonel said to them, “Captain Knight?”

“Good afternoon,” Knight replied, “Colonel, um...”

“Lethbridge-Stewart.” He said quickly, “I expect you're wondering who the devil I am, eh?”

“Well as a matter of fact, sir, yes.” Knight said.

“Well, I couldn't tell you before but we're a bit cut off down here, aren't you? I'm taking over from Pemberton.” The Colonel spoke firmly to Knight, “Sorry about him. Very fine soldier.”

“Taking over?” Knight seemed slightly confused. “I see...”

“You deaf or something?” Hanna muttered.

If Knight had heard her, he did a very good job at ignoring what she had said. “Well excuse me sir but do you have any-”

“Authorisation? Yes, of course. Here are my papers.” The Colonel finished his sentence for him and fished the papers out of his jacket pocket, handing them over. “Glad to see you don't take things at face value.”

“How did you get in, sir?” Knight asked as he finished examining the papers.

“Holborn. Ammunition party,” Lethbridge-Stewart replied gravely, “Got badly beaten up. All the men dead I'm afraid, as far as I could see anyway.”

“Not all,” Knight replied, “Evans managed to escape.”

“Evans?” The Colonel was confused for a brief moment before remembering what Hanna had said, “Oh yes, the driver.”

“Evans didn't mention any other survivors.” Knight continued suspiciously.

“No, well, it all got a bit confused,” Lethbridge-Stewart answered smoothly, “Driven into a side tunnel, myself. After that, for a bit lost and then found the girl and this Doctor.”

“Yes, I was wondering when you were going to get around to me.” While they had been talking the Doctor had moved away from the table and Victoria to stand beside them, listening to the conversation.

“Yes, well the Professor's spoken for him,” Knight informed them, “We do know a little about the Doctor already.”

“I see,” Lethbridge-Stewart mused, “In fact, more than you do about me, eh?”

“To tell you the truth, sir, yes.” Knight replied. He seemed about to say more but was interrupted by the door opening.

“Doctor!” Professor Travers exclaimed as he burst into the room, “My dear fellow, am I glad to see you!” He shook the Doctor's hand warmly, as if it had been only a few days since they had last met instead of near on forty years.

“My word it is!” The Doctor greeted him just as warmly, “It has been a long time!”

“Professor,” Lethbridge-Stewart stepped in, “I'm told you know this man.”

“Yeah, because you wouldn't have been able to tell that by the way they greeted each other,” Hanna cut in, stepping forwards to shake Travers' hand, “Wonderful to meet you at last, I'm Rosehanna MacKay but everyone calls me Hanna.”

“You've heard of me, then?” He asked, “Are you a friend of the Doctor?”

“I am but not for a long time yet,” She laughed, “That is to say, this is the first time he's met me but not the first time I've met him.”

“Ah, I see, I see.” Travers replied before turning to Lethbridge-Stewart, “And who are you, then?”

“Colonel Lethbridge-Stewart. New CO. So, you can vouch for the Doctor?”

“Well of course I can,” Travers nodded, as if it was obvious.

“And what about these girls?”

“Ah well, they're on my staff.” The Doctor told him.

“But I thought you said you hadn't met Miss MacKay before.” Lethbridge-Stewart pointed out.

“Ah but I will do,” He replied with a coy smile, “And if I can't trust myself then who can I trust, eh?”

“We've got lots to do, Doctor,” Travers said before anyone could respond to the Doctor's odd comment, “Time's running short. I need your help. Uh, Captain Knight, I'll take him straight down to the lab. Now, come on, Doctor.” Travers started to hurriedly usher the Doctor out of the room. “You better come along too, Victoria. Things are getting a bit desperate, but I've got an idea.” The Doctor and Travers spoke in hushed and hurried voices as they left the room and walked down the corridors, heads together. Victoria glanced around before quickly following them.

“It would seem that the Professor's in charge down here, Captain.” Lethbridge-Stewart said pointedly as he, Knight and Hanna were left alone in the common room.

“Yes, well, he does have a job to do, sir.” Knight replied, wanting to vouch for the decisions that had been made. “I think it's best to let him get on with it, don't you?”

“Mmm...” the Colonel replied, deep in thought, “Yes, well I suppose you're right. Miss MacKay, why don't you go join them? I'm sure you'd be able to put your knowledge to good use.”

Hanna opened her mouth to protest before nodding, “Aye, sure. Probably better than just sitting around here twiddling my thumbs. See you later.” She smiled at the Colonel before leaving the room, just in time to see the Victoria disappear round a corner. Hanna moved quickly, not wanting to lose track of them.

“Yes, well, as I say, when I came to, there was no sign of the Yeti,” The Doctor said as she entered. He and Professor Travers were standing by a work bench along with a pretty young woman who could be none other than Travers' daughter, Anne. “So I wandered around a bit, got lost and saw the fungus...”

“You've seen it then?” Anne asked.

“Oh, foul stuff. Oh it was the Intelligence all right.” Travers said.

“Not me, then?” The Doctor asked, glancing at Victoria with a smile.

“Huh? What do you mean?” Travers asked.

“Told you,” Hanna said, going over to lean on the wall beside where Victoria was standing, folding her arms. “Of course they didn't have any suspicions about the Doctor. Well, Travers didn't. Anne on the other hand...”

“So you did hear us talking then?” Anne looked over at Victoria.

“Yes,” The young girl replied, not looking happy or convinced that the others did indeed trust the Doctor as much as they said they did.

“Oh that!” Travers blustered, “Well it was only just idle chatter!” He chuckled to himself, “Ah, yes, it was the Intelligence that brought you here all right.”

“But why?” The Doctor mused, “That's what I can't understand, why?”

“Yes. Well you've given it the slip, Doctor.” Travers replied. “Doesn't know where you are yet.”

“I wouldn't be quite so sure if I were you,” Hanna put in, “I mean yes for now he has but the Yetis are all over these tunnels and with that fungus blocking off the entire circle line and still encroaching it's only a matter of time before it realises that we're here. I mean there's nowhere else that the Doctor can actually go!”

“I hope it hasn't caught Jamie...” Victoria said, her worry clear in her voice and expression.

“He'll be fine.” Hanna nudged her shoulder affectionately, “We all know what Jamie's like. Good at getting himself both in and out of trouble.”

The Doctor chuckled, “Now that is very true. But the real question here is after we defeated it all those years ago in Tibet, what brought the Intelligence back again?”

“Well, it was my wretched curiosity, I'm afraid.” Travers admitted, “You see, when I came back from Tibet I brought quite a bit of stuff back with me. You know... broken Yeti, bits of control spheres and things like that. Oh, the monks were only too glad to see the back of it.”

“Not surprised, the amount of trouble it all caused,” Hanna put in.

“Yes, well quite. But you see my dear fellow, one of the control spheres was still intact... so naturally, I wanted to find out how it worked.”

“Oh dear...” The Doctor said quietly, realising where this was going.

“I fiddled with the thing on and off for years,” Travers continued, “And then one day...”

“Don't tell me, it just disappeared.” The Doctor finished his sentence for him. “Yes... well presumably once the sphere started working, the Intelligence just homed in on it.”

“And with the Yeti in the museum it had a pair of hands to work with on Earth.” Hanna said, leaning on the Doctor's shoulder but talking to Travers, “And that's why you wanted it out of the museum. So that you could keep an eye on it and make sure that the sphere didn't reach the Yeti.”

“Well yes. How did you know all that?” Travers asked her suspiciously.

“I know the Doctor in the future.” She explained with a smile, “So I know all sorts of things about his past and his friends.”

“Sorry to interrupt,” Captain Knight entered the room, causing all of them to turn and look at him, “But Colonel Lethbridge-Stewart has decided to hold a briefing. He'd like you all to attend.”

“A briefing?” Anne questioned, “We're not in the Army yet, Captain.”

“Uh, yes, I know that, Miss Travers, but now that he's taken over command he thinks it would be the simplest way of being put in the picture.”

“And he'd be right,” Hanna added, “Rather than running to and fro getting bits of information from different sources, surely it's easier to have everyone in one room and get all the facts at once?”

“Yes, splendid idea!” Professor Travers agreed, “It might help you too, Doctor. No come on, I'd like you show you the layout...”

“If you'd like to make your way to the common room you'll find that the Colonel is waiting for you,” Captain Knight said over the top of Travers' continued ramblings.

“Captain,” Anne said firmly before leaving the room.

“Any news of Jamie?” Victoria asked as she got to her feet.

Knight looked down at her and his expression softened slightly, “No. No, I'm afraid not.”

The group left the room, heading back the way they had come and into the common room. Hanna took a chair near the back of the room to listen, though her mind quickly drifted to wondering how Jamie and Evans were getting on in the tunnels. She knew they'd be perfectly safe but she didn't really know all the details, other than Evans was a coward who cared more about saving his own skin than he did anything else. She didn't care all that much about the day by day account Captain Knight was presenting to the room about how the fungus and Yeti incursion had spread. She knew all this stuff. She chewed the nail of her left thumb, lost in her own thoughts. She knew the ending of this story and as much as it was cool to be involved she also knew that she couldn't get too heavily involved. She was 1000 years back through the Doctor's personal timeline and if she messed something up here then there might be some major repercussions that would make a difference to how the Doctor behaved in her time. She was anxious but not about to admit that to anyone. She didn't think she'd be able to relax properly until the episode had finished the way it was supposed to. She jumped as the door opened and Chorley arrived, greeted by an audible groan from everyone in the room.

“Ah, Colonel Lethbridge-Stewart,” Chorley said, ignoring the general atmosphere around him.

“What is it, Mr Chorley? We're in the middle of a briefing.” Lethbridge-Stewart replied, clearly annoyed at being interrupted.

“Yes, so I see. Do you know about this door to surface? A helicopter could lift us all out!” Chorley informed him, as if it was the obvious solution.

“Could it?” Lethbridge-Stewart replied drily. “Always assuming that we could make contact with the outside world, which we can't, how do you imagine they would find us in the mist?” He gave Chorley a withering glance as he shot down his ideas, causing Hanna to grin at the slimy man being put in his place. “Sit down please.”

“Look Colonel, I resent your tone.” Chorley responded, unperturbed. “You seem to forget that I am here as a representative of the press, and as such-!”

“And as such, Mr Chorley, you are no more than a passenger.” Lethbridge-Stewart cut across him firmly, his tone stating that as far as he was concerned the conversation was over. “Staff, lights please.” He went back to the briefing that Chorley had interrupted.

Hanna grinned to herself. She had never liked the slimy journalist and seeing as that was the first time she had met him in person she was yet to be in any way inclined to change her mind. She was glad they had someone like Lethbridge-Stewart now in charge of the place. As far as she had seen – which was quite a lot – he was a no nonsense military man who would one day grow to be one of the Doctor's most trusted allies.

“Excuse me, sir.” Hanna said as people started to leave and go back to their business. “I know it's not entirely relevant but I was wondering if I could ask a favour...”

“Hmm? And what's that, Miss MacKay?” The Colonel looked over at her.

“Well, you see the thing is, sir... being from where I am I was wondering if I could get everyone here to sign this.” She pulled the insert from the Web of Fear DVD out of her pocket, glad she'd managed to keep hold of it. “It's not important at all really but... I'd like to have something to remember all this by.”

“What is that? Can I have a look?” He stepped forward and held his hand out, examining the paper insert once she had handed it over. “Hmm... well I don't see why not. Men, before you leave you're to sign somewhere on this paper for the girl.”

“What is it?” Captain Knight asked.

“That, Knight, is none of your concern. All you need to know do is put your signature on it.” The Colonel told him before adding to the room, “That goes for all of you.”

Hanna grinned, rifling through the bag that was still over her shoulder and pulling out a pen, “Oh. Can I also ask that only the Colonel, Doctor, Victoria, Jamie, Professor Travers and Anne sign the front?”

“Any particular reason?” Lethbridge-Stewart asked as he took the pen off her and scribbled his signature onto the front of the insert.

“Just because you six are the most awesome.” She laughed, “Oh this is so cool!” She watched as the pen was passed around and the insert was soon filled with the autographs of everyone in the base. There was a space left on the front for Jamie when he got back and also one inside for Evans.

“So what is this all about?” Chorley asked her as he hovered the pen over the paper, looking at her over the top of his glasses.

“Never you mind.” She replied, “Let's just say that I'm not from around here and that you're not going to get any more answers out of me. Now sign the paper and go back to skulking about like the rat you are.” She folded her arms and refused to say anything else to him as he reluctantly signed the paper and put the pen down.

“I am going to find out what's going on around here,” He told her before he moved away, “You mark my words.”

“Oh I very much doubt that, Mr Chorley,” she replied with a forced smile, “I would say your chances of finding out the whole truth are very slim indeed. And your chances of being able to report it are even slimmer.”

Chorley looked like he was about to reply but was interrupted by Colonel Lethbridge-Stewart, “Are you quite finished, Mr Chorley?” He asked.

Chorley looked up at him and nodded, “Oh I'm only just getting started,” He replied but he turned and left the room, going to talk to one of the soldiers as he went.

“Slimy git, isn't he?” Hanna observed, “Still, I could take him any day of the week.”

“I don't doubt it.” The Colonel replied with a shadow of a smile on his face, “But I think it would be wise to keep him as isolated and out of the loop as possible.”

“Aye, that's true.” She replied, picking up the insert from the table and checking the ink had dried before closing it and carefully slipping it into her bag.

“Am I to presume that piece of paper has something to do with how you know so much about what's going on down here?” He asked.

“Yes, sir.” She looked up at him again, “Where I'm from there is a television show called Doctor Who which is about the Doctor and the places he goes and people he meets. And not a small amount of saving the world. It's my favourite show ever and somehow I ended up here, in a place where it's actually real.”

“So that's how you know about the future? A television program?”

“Yeah,” she replied, “A television show and no small amount of time travel. And if it's all the same to you, sir, I only tell the people I know are important and trustworthy.”

“I won't tell a soul,” He promised.

“Thanks,” She smiled, about to say something else but a soldier burst into the room.

“Sir!” They said quickly, “The fungus is spreading again.”

The Colonel straightened up, “Show me, Weams.” he instructed, glancing back at Hanna and adding, “You should go find the Doctor, tell him and the Professor to come and join us,” before he left the room, following Weams down the corridors.

Hanna smiled, leaving the common room and quickly making her way down the corridor to the lab. “Doctor,” She said as she opened the door, “Sorry to interrupt but the Bri-Colonel wants to see you. And the Professor. The fungus is on the move again.”

“Well then, there's no time to lose,” The Doctor said.

“Yes, then maybe we'll get to work in peace,” Travers grumbled but followed as Hanna and the Doctor left the room, taking the lead to guide them through the corridor and to the room where the Colonel was waiting in front of the map that tracked the progress of the fungus.

“Queensway, Lancaster Gate, Strand, Chancery Lane.” The Colonel listed the stations that had just been taken over for effect and the sakes of people who couldn't see the map for themselves, “All in a half hour and it's creeping in all the time. How long do you think we've got, Professor?”

“Uh, it's difficult to say,” The Professor mused, “Why, at this rate, oh, couple of hours at the most.”

“Colonel you've got to do something!” Chorley interrupted, “We can't just stand here waiting, can we?”

“Ah, Mr Chorley,” Lethbridge-Stewart feigned pleasantry. “You'd like to help, wouldn't you?” When Chorley tried to speak he kept talking over the top of him, “Yes, of course you would. Now, look, I'll tell you what I want you to do. We shall all be rushing about a bit, so what I want you to do is to wait in the common room. Act as a sort of liaison officer. You could do that, couldn't you?” Once again he steam-rolled over Chorley's attempts to protest, “Yes, of course you could. Off you go. We'll all report progress to you personally.”

“What you mean, coordinate things?” Chorley asked, finally able to get a word in.

“Yes, that's it. Corporal Blake?” Lethbridge-Stewart turned to the Corporal, “See that Mr Chorley has everything he needs. Big desk, comfortable chair. Plenty of paper and so on. Off you go.”

“Sir.” Blake nodded before leaving the room with Chorley.

“Right, that's enough diplomacy for one day.” Lethbridge-Stewart said once they had gone, visibly relieved.

“And it's got Chorley out from under your feet for the considerable future,” Hanna added, “Now we can actually get on without that slimeball getting in the way.”

“Precisely,” Lethbridge-Stewart nodded, “Now, let's get down to some practical soldiering. Doctor, you've been very quiet. Any ideas?”

“Well as far as I can see, what we most need is time.” The Doctor replied, “Now, if we were to blow the tunnel here, just above Goodge Street, we could seal ourselves in for a bit.”

“Good,” The Colonel agreed, “Practical suggestion. Staff, have we got any explosives?”

“There is a bit, sir.” Staff Arnold replied.

“Enough to blow the tunnel?”

“Just about enough, sir.” Arnold confirmed.

“The trouble is every time we lay the charges, the Yeti cocoon them.” Knight told him the major flaw in their plan.

“I've thought of that,” The Doctor told them, “Got anything on wheels? Something that'll run along a track?”

“Yes. Yes, there's a baggage trolley. I think it's beside the stairs. Go and see, would you, Staff?” Knight replied, not sure where this was going.

“Yes, sir.” Arnold replied, “It'll be the wrong gauge of course, but we could soon fix that.”

“It's a good plan if it'll work.” Hanna said as Arnold left.

“What is the plan?” Lethbridge-Stewart asked.

“Well it's simple enough.” The Doctor told him, “We lay the explosives on the trolley and set up a triggering device and then blow it up while it's on the move.”

“Yes, yes that should work.” Lethbridge-Stewart agreed.

“Come on, Travers. Let's fix up this detonator.” The Doctor said to the Professor and the pair of them left the room.

“I think I'll take the opportunity to have a look around the place,” The Colonel said to Knight, “Let me know when you get the trolley organised.”

“Mind if I join you, sir?” Hanna asked following the Colonel out of the room.

He glanced at her, “I don't see why not. Good to have an outsider's opinion on things. Do you think this plan will work?”

“In theory, it's sound.” She replied slowly as they walked through the corridors, “In practice it might be tricky to pull off.”

“And you know this from experience of course?”

“Well, I know how this story ends when it was just a television program.” She said, “The problem is, what happens if the Yeti manage to stop the trolley? Or find their way to the base and destroy the explosives before we can even lay them?”

“You think that's a possibility?”

“Just trying to think outside the box,” She replied, “It's unlikely but...”

“I'll have a guard put on the explosives storage.” He told her, “But as for the Yeti stopping the trolley, well we'll just have to risk it.”

She nodded, “Yeah, I guess we will.”

“For the Yeti to get to the base, however, there would have to be someone on the inside working for them.”

“Yes, there would.” She agreed, “And I don't think anyone where would consciously be on their side.” She sighed softly, “Of course the main problem I can see with cutting ourselves off is Jamie.”

“Who?” The Colonel asked. “Oh yes, the Doctor's friend.”

“Yeah, he's in the tunnels somewhere with Evans and it's all very well giving ourselves more time by blowing the tunnel but we could be leaving them to die out there. And, no offence sir, that doesn't sit very well with me.”

“Yes, I see what you mean. Maybe we should go back and discuss this with the others? See how they're getting on.”

She smiled, “Good idea, sir.” The pair of them made their way back down the corridor to the lab where the Doctor and Travers were working. As they entered the Doctor looked up before starting to explain to them what they were doing.

“So this will explode in 60 seconds?” Lethbridge-Stewart clarified.

“Yes,” The Doctor confirmed, “Just push the trolley down the gradient and that should give them enough time to get clear.”

“Yes, but suppose the Yeti stop the trolley before it goes off?” Knight asked, entering the room in time to hear them.

“Well if it comes in contact with anything, it'll blow up at once.” The Doctor told him.

Staff Arnold entered the room and approached the Colonel, “We've got the trolley on the line, sir.”

“Ah, thank you, Staff,” Lethbridge-Stewart replied.

“Funny thing, though, sir. The main door was open.” Staff continued.

“Open?” The Colonel frowned slightly, “You're sure about that?”

“Sorry to interrupt sir, but I've found this.” Another soldier entered the room, holding a twisted lump of metal.

“Well what is it?” Knight asked them.

“It's the padlock from the explosives door, sir.” He replied, “And this thing was with it.” He showed them what he had in his other hand, a small model of a Yeti.

“Well did you see inside?” The Doctor asked, the worry clear in his voice.

“No, I thought best not.” the man answered, “I left Lane on guard, sir.”

“Come on!” The Doctor told them before hurrying from the room, Hanna, and the soldiers quickly following.

Once they got to the door behind which the explosives were supposed to be kept safe, the Doctor listened carefully. “Well, it seems quiet enough,” he said after a moment.

“You think there is something in there?” Arnold asked him.

“There's only one way of finding out, isn't there?” The Doctor replied. He gestured a countdown from three to one before opening the door. Everyone recoiled instantly. Inside the room was just a mass of web and fungus, blocking off the explosives. “Shut it!” The Doctor shouted and with Knight's help they got the door closed again, drawing the bolt to lock it.

“Well now we know,” Knight said, his voice strained, “How are we going to blow up the tunnel now?”

“With difficulty.” Hanna told him. “We should get back to the lab and regroup. Come up with a new plan.”

The Colonel looked at her before nodding, “Yes, what Miss MacKay said.”

“Hold on a minute, sir,” Captain Knight said, “What about the ammunition party that you arrived with? Did they not have explosives?”

“Yes, that's a very good point, Knight. If we could get up to Holborn then we might be in with a chance. Arnold, do a sweep of headquarters, make sure there are no Yeti still around. Knight, get some men ready.”

“Sir,” They both replied before leaving.

“The Yeti have dealt with the explosives here. And I'm willing to bed they'll do the same with those and Holborn, as well. I think you're wasting your time now, Colonel.” The Doctor told them.

“Yes,” The Colonel replied, “But at least there's a chance. We must check.”

Arnold returned while they were talking, stamping his feet in way of a salute, “Search completed, sir. Headquarters all clear. No sign of Yeti.”

“Good. Captain Knight got the men ready?”

“Yes, sir.” Arnold told him.

“Well tell Captain Knight to start. You and I will follow on behind. Oh, better tell the Professor we're leaving.”

“Yes, sir.” Arnold answered, “What about Mr Chorley?”

“No,” Lethbridge-Stewart replied, “The less he knows, the better.”

“What am I doing?” Hanna asked.

“Miss MacKay, I think it would be best if you accompanied the Doctor back to the lab. Stay out of trouble, run interference between what we're doing and what Mr Chorley finds out about. That kind of thing.”

She seemed about to protest against the Colonel's orders but stopped herself. The chance to get on Chorley's nerves seemed far too good to resist.

“Right,” The Colonel continued, “I will be leaving four men here, you'll be quite safe, Doctor.”

“Will I?” The Doctor asked shrewdly.

“What?” The Colonel frowned slightly.

“Someone here is in league with the Yeti,” The Doctor elaborated, “maybe even controlling them.”

“What?” The Colonel asked again, more in surprise than anything else.

“The Yeti found their way inside the fortress,” Hanna said, “Someone must have opened the door and left the statuette so that it knew where to go. It could be anyone.”

“Me, perhaps?” The Colonel asked.

“Perhaps,” She replied, “But would I tell someone I knew was in league with the Yeti about where I'm from?”

“No, I don't suppose you would. Then again, you're not telling us much, are you?”

“I can't tell you much. I'm from a point 1000 years into the Doctor's future. To tell you something important would risk changing how it plays out and thus put the entirety of time and space at risk. I am here to observe and get overexcited at everything and meet people I've always dreamed about meeting. Nothing more or less than that. If I change anything, even something small then I put the entire cosmos in danger. All I can say is that I trust you. And I trust the Doctor and his friends. Everyone else, well it's up to you.”

“Hmm...” The Doctor seemed deep in though, “Well regardless, we need to get back to the lab and continue working. Come along, Hanna.”

She smiled and allowed herself to be bustled away, “Well we've got plenty of new developments to tell Travers and Victoria.”

“That we do,” He said, hearing voices in the common room and moving towards them.

“Ah, Doctor!” Chorley said as the Doctor opened the door, “We were just talking about you. I hadn't realised what was going on.”

“Oh?” The Doctor asked.

“Well...” Chorley said quietly before leaving the room. “Aren't you going in?” He said to Hanna as he closed the door behind him.

“Nope,” She replied, “Because I know what you're going to do. And quite frankly you're a dislikeable slimeball. Plus I was wondering if you could help me find the toilets?”

“No, sorry I have to be getting on.” He replied, trying to remain as sneaky as possible as he locked the door behind his back and then hurried off.

Hanna sighed, waiting outside the door for a moment before unlocking it, releasing the Doctor and Victoria before they could start to properly pound on the door. As she did so two men rounded the corner at the end of the corridor. One of them men was dressed in the same uniform as the rest of the soldiers but the other was wearing a white shirt and kilt.

“Jamie!” The Doctor and Victoria exclaimed, pleased to find that her friend was safe.

“Oh Doctor, it's good to see you!” Jamie greeted the pair of them warmly.

“Jamie, have you seen Chorley?” The Doctor asked him, now serious.

“Well, who's he?” Jamie asked.

Hanna laughed, “Glasses, dark hair, horrible slimy greaseball who doesn't seem to care about anyone but himself?”

Jamie looked confused, “Well, aye I saw someone leaving just now.”

“Well no time to waste, come on, I'll tell you as we go!” The Doctor replied quickly, pushing him back down the corridor with Hanna and Victoria following quickly behind them.

As they slowed down and entered the tunnels, Hanna rooted through her bag and fished out her torch, clicking it on and doing a quick sweep of the tunnel, “Well, he's gone...” She said softly, “We need to get there before he does.”

“What's going on?” Jamie asked, looking between the three of them.

“Victoria here decided to tell a slimy journalist all about the TARDIS, and how the soldiers are on their way to find explosives so that we can seal ourselves off and be safe from the Yetis, at least for a while. And so this guy, Chorley, figures the best thing to do is to try to get to the TARDIS. I have no idea what he plans to do when he gets there, something stupid no doubt.” Hanna explained as concisely as she could.

“Ah, I see,” The Scotsman replied. “Hold in a minute, who are you?”

She laughed, “I was wondering when you'd get to that. I'm Hanna MacKay. I'm... complicated.”

“Jamie McCrimmon,” he held out a hand which she shook, “Complicated how?”

“In that I arrived here the same way you did. In the TARDIS. But I travel with the Doctor in the future so I have... some knowledge of how things work out.”

“Ah,” he said slowly, thinking.

She laughed again, “Basically, I'm from the future and because of that I know a lot about his past. So... I know who you are. And the Doctor and Victoria... and everyone who has ever travelled in the TARDIS.” She smiled at him, “It's wonderful... but hard at the same time.”

“Before we get too far into this,” The Doctor interrupted, “Why don't we get on after Chorley, eh?”

Hanna looked at him and nodded, “Yeah. Of course. Anyway, good to finally get to meet you, Jamie McCrimmon. It's been a dream of mine for a long time.” She smiled at the young man before taking the lead, walking through the tunnels.

 

 


	9. The Web of Fear Part 2

As they walked, the Doctor and Victoria told Jamie about the Colonel and everything that had happened at the base since they had last seen each other and in return, Jamie told them about meeting Evans and the fungus he'd seen, and the pyramid they had come into contact with that hadn't seemed to have done anything when they destroyed it.

“Which way?” Jamie asked as they reached a fork in the tunnels.

“This way to Covent Garden,” The Doctor said, pointing down one of the tunnels.

“Are you sure Chorley's after the TARDIS, though?” Jamie replied.

“He's got a point,” Hanna added, “You presume he is but he could just as easily be trying to sabotage the Bri-Colonel's group.”

“Yes, I'm certain of it.” The Doctor insisted, “Why else would he lock us in?”

“Aye, maybe you're right.” Jamie conceded.

“Like me to take a shufty down this tunnel?” Evans asked, looking in the direction that the Doctor had ruled out. “He might have taken a wrong turning.”

“No, no, no, if he did, it doesn't matter, does it? Come along, this way!” The Doctor told him.

“The important thing is getting to the TARDIS first.” Hanna agreed, “If that is indeed where he's going. Which frankly, I can't remember but have no reason to doubt your logic.”

They started to walk again, more urgently in their desire to get to the TARDIS and make sure nothing untoward had happened.

“This looks familiar, it's just around this corner,” The Doctor told them. But as they rounded the corner they realised it was too late. The fungus had reached it first and they were now completely cut off.

“Oh no!” Jamie exclaimed.

“Oh, we can't get to the TARDIS!” Victoria added, staring at the pulsating wall with wide, fearful eyes.

“No, Victoria. I'm afraid we can't.” The Doctor replied gravely.

“What's happened to Chorley, then?” Jamie asked.

“That's what I'm wondering...” The Doctor mused, still looking intently at the fungus ahead of them. “Did he reach the TARDIS before the fungus or did he not?”

“I... don't know.” Hanna put in helpfully. “Well, he didn't reach the TARDIS but I don't know where he's gone.”

“Hey, come back, Doctor!” Jamie told him as the Doctor continued to move towards the fungus.

“It's all right, Jamie, I'm not going to do anything silly.” The Doctor reassured him. “I just want to try and get a little bit for analysis.”

“Some people would count that as doing something silly. But as it's in the name of science it's fine,” Hanna grinned, leaning on Evans' shoulder and watching them curiously, “Though I would recommend being cautious.”

“It's all perfectly all right,” The Doctor said again, “Has anyone got a box?”

Evans patted his pockets before pulling out a small tin and offering it, “I've got my tobacco tin,” He told them.

“Ah, splendid,” The Doctor said, taking it from him and opening it.

“But then, it's got tobacco in it.” Evans continued.

“Oh... never mind.” The Doctor replied brightly, dumping the tobacco out into Evans' hand.

“Hey!” Evans started to protest, “Oh, all right. I only hope you'll think the sacrifice is worth it.”

Hanna laughed, rummaging through her bag but finding what she was looking for, a small cardboard box that had originally held plasters. The contents of the box had long since escaped into the bottom of her bag and she'd given up trying to get them to go back in but for some reason she still kept the box. Now she checked it was mostly sound before offering it to Evans, “You can put your tobacco in there if you want. I mean, I think it's a filthy habit but this box wouldn't do for holding anything of any real importance. It should work fine for your baccy though.”

“Thank you,” Evans sounded disgruntled as he took the box from her and, as carefully as possible, tipped the tobacco from his hand into the box. Most of it survived the transfer. Looking slightly happier he stowed the box safely in his pocket.

“Come on, hold the tin for me, would you Evans?” The Doctor said once they had finished talking, holding it out for the Welshman to take back off him. As the Doctor started to cut the webbed fungus it let out an ear-splitting noise, causing Jamie, Victoria and Hanna to all recoil away from it, their hands clamped over their ears. “Back everyone! Quickly!” He yelled and everyone made their way back down the corridor as quickly as possible.

Once they were far enough away they could slow down Hanna let out a low whistle, “Well... that was fun.” She looked around at the others. “Apart from the deafening noise. Obviously. Where now, back to base?”

“Yes, I think that would be best,” The Doctor replied, patting the pocket where he now had the tin of fungus, “I'd like to get this stuff analysed as soon as possible.”

As they walked Evans took the lead. They stopped as they heard voices ahead of them and Evans looked around the corner of the tunnel before gesturing them onward, “It's all right,” He told them, “It's only Staff Arnold.”

“One of these days, Evans my lad, you're going to creep up on someone once too often.” Arnold said in a low voice.

“Well, that's life, isn't it, Staff?” Evans replied with a grin as the others emerged from the tunnel.

“Any luck at Holborn?” The Doctor asked.

“No. Fungus.” Arnold replied by way of explanation.

“Same back there,” Jamie told him.

“Right, I'll tell the Colonel,” Arnold told them, “You lot had better get back to HQ. We'll be along in a few minutes.”

“Come along, Jamie. I'll just show this bit of fungus to Travers,” The Doctor said, gesturing for them to follow before moving past Arnold back towards HQ.

Hanna glanced back at Arnold suspiciously, walking slower than the others. He met her gaze steadily and she forced herself to look away, jogging to catch up with the group.

“The door's open, Doctor.” Jamie said as they got closer.

“Let's see, Jamie!” He replied.

“Hey, look at this!” Jamie said as they entered, looking around. Hanna craned her neck to see but was too far back and Evans was in the way.

“Good Lord!” The Doctor exclaimed, “That's Yeti.”

“You don't think they may still be here?” Jamie asked.

“They've got what they came for...” Hanna said gravely as they all stepped inside, spreading out slightly in the corridor.

Victoria let out a shriek as she looked through a doorway and was confronted with the body of a soldier covered in web. The Doctor hugged her, trying to calm her down as he surveyed the scene.

Hanna moved on to the next room, “Anne Travers is in here!” She called to the others, going inside and crouching beside the woman. As she and Jamie gently turned her onto her back, Anne started to regain consciousness.

“Will she be all right?” Victoria asked as she and the Doctor entered the room as well, followed by Evans.

“Yes. Yes I think she'll be all right.” The Doctor replied.

“Get a chair for her,” Hanna told Evans and the Welshman nodded, going and picking one up from where it had been knocked sideways and placing it down for Anne.

“Doctor, the Yeti, have they gone?” Anne asked as she started to become more lucid.

“Yes, they've gone now, it's quite safe now.” The Doctor told her.

“What happened?” Jamie's voice was full of concern.

“Oh, my father! The Yeti! They Yeti, they've taken him! Oh my...” Anne started to panic again as she remembered what had happened.

“Jamie, you'd better get to to the common room,” The Doctor told the young Scot and Jamie nodded, helping Anne up. He and Victoria guided her out of the room and away down the corridor, Jamie doing his best to reassure her that everything would be fine.

“Do you reckon they have?” Evans asked once they had gone.

“Have what?” The Doctor asked.

“Taken him. Like she said,” Evans clarified.

“They have.” Hanna confirmed, “They need him for something.”

“Ah, Doctor.” Colonel Lethbridge-Stewart entered the lab, “What's this I hear about Travers?”

“The Yeti broke in here.” Hanna told him, “We went out looking for Chorley-”

“Chorley?” Lethbridge-Stewart interrupted.

“Well what the devil was he doing in the tunnel in the first place?” Knight added.

“Well, I'm not quite sure,” The Doctor replied, not wanting to tell them everything he knew.

“I know that one would panic.” Knight said, glancing at the Colonel.

They turned towards the door as Staff Arnold entered, “I'm afraid young Weams has had it, sir,” Arnold reported, “Like the other poor devils outside.”

“I see...” Lethbridge-Stewart replied, “Staff you'd better get...” he trailed off.

“Yes, we're doing that now.” Arnold confirmed. “Evans come with me.”

“Sir,” Evans replied in confirmation, pausing as he moved past Lethbridge-Stewart, “Glad to see you're all right, sir.” He said to him.

“Eh?” Lethbridge-Stewart looked over as he was drawn from his thoughts.

“Drove you to Holborn, I did, sir.” Evans told him.

“Ah, yes, so you did.” The Colonel replied.

“Evans!” Arnold called from the corridor, causing the Welshman to turn and hurry from the room.

“Can't make out why the Yeti broke in,” The Colonel said once the door had closed. “I mean, they could have destroyed the place if they wanted to.”

“Then answer's simple. They came for something and they got it.” The Doctor replied.

“Travers.” Hanna added, “The Intelligence that's controlling the Yeti is smart, it's not going to do something just because it can, it'll do things because it needs to. It'd waste time and effort in destroying the place. Instead it just took Travers and left again. Because it needs him for something.”

The door opened and a soldier walked in, “Excuse me, sir, but I think you better come to the ops room.” He addressed the Colonel.

“Why?” Lethbridge-Stewart asked. “What's happening?”

“That fungus stuff,” The man explained, “It's on the move again.”

The Doctor and Hanna exchanged a worried glance before they followed the Colonel and Captain Knight out of the lab, down the corridor to the ops room. As the man had said, the fungus appeared to be moving, several more stations now flashing on the map as they filled with the strange web.

“Like a web, isn't it?” The soldier said, echoing what Hanna was thinking.

“Yes, and we're the flies, all right, but where is the spider?” The Doctor said gravely.

“Better give the others a hand, Corporal,” The Colonel said to the man who had led them there. He stamped his foot as a salute before leaving. The Colonel turned to the Doctor. “Doctor, I've been thinking about what you were saying earlier. About someone here in HQ being responsible for all this. Could it have been Travers?”

“Oh, I doubt it.” The Doctor replied.

“Well, after all, he has disappeared.” Knight pointed out.

“So has Chorley.” Hanna cut in, “And who says that the person who is working with the Intelligence has to be someone who has gone missing? It could be someone who appears to still be working for us.”

“Yes, a fact of which I am uncomfortably aware.” The Colonel replied. “But tell me, Doctor. This Intelligence, exactly what is it?”

“Well I wish I could give you a precise answer,” The Doctor looked vaguely into the air as he tried to find the right words to describe it, “Perhaps the best way to describe it is a sort of formless, shapeless thing floating about in space like a cloud of mist, only with a mind and will.”

“What's it after?” Lethbridge-Stewart asked, “What does it want?”

“I wish I knew,” The Doctor looked at him now, “The only thing I know for sure is that it brought me here.”

“Brought you here?” Knight echoed, like it was a ridiculous notion.

“Yes, I've been wondering how you got here.” Lethbridge-Stewart said over the top of him.

“Yes, well, I don't think there's any harm in telling you now. Is there, Hanna?” He looked over to the girl for confirmation.

“Go right ahead,” She replied, “I've already told him that we've got a time machine but I don't think he believed me.”

The Doctor nodded slightly before turning his attention back to the Colonel and Knight, “I have a craft that travels in time and space.”

“Oh, come now, Doctor, you can't expect us-” Knight started to tell him how mad he thought the idea was but the Colonel stopped him.

“This craft of you, this time and space craft, could it get us out of here?” Lethbridge-Stewart asked.

“Why, yes.” The Doctor told him, “But it's at Covent Garden.”

“What does it look like?” Lethbridge-Stewart continued to ask practical questions while Knight blustered in the background that it was impossible.

“A police box.” Hanna told him, “A blue police telephone box.”

“So, if we could rescue that craft, you could take us out?”

“Yes. Yes, I could, but I have to stay here and finish Travers' work!” The Doctor told him firmly.

“Ah, Doctor.” Jamie interrupted them, “Miss Travers is feeling all right now and would like to see you right away.”

“Very good, Jamie. Excuse me, gentlemen, please.” The Doctor left the room with Jamie.

“Well, I've heard some stories in my time but that one really takes the...” Knight started to once again insist that the idea was impossible.

“So, you don't believe us?” Hanna asked him.

“Of course I don't. The whole thing's screwy! A police box!”

“Well whether you think it foolish or now, we are going to rescue that craft.” Lethbridge-Stewart told him firmly.

“But sir, our job-” Knight tried to protest.

“Captain Knight.” Lethbridge-Stewart cut him off, “The army has failed to defeat this menace. Now, the Doctor thinks he might succeed. Personally I doubt it, but if we stay here, we're as good as dead. Therefore I do not intend leaving any escape route unexplored, however 'screwy' you may think is.”

“The Doctor is going to succeed though.” Hanna said to them, “Well, kind of. Not in the way he's hoping but...” She grinned, “Thing is, it's not just the Doctor's idea. I arrived separately to him and I'm giving you the exact same story about how I got here. I'm just a bit from the future, that's all.”

“Let's get on with it, shall we Knight?” Lethbridge-Stewart said to put a stop to any potential arguments breaking out.

“Sir,” Knight started to walk away before turning back, “I suppose you've considered that the Doctor might be leading us into a trap?”

“I think,” Hanna said to him, “That if you want to start pointing the finger and accusing traitors you might want to start looking a bit closer to home. The Doctor was dragged here by the Intelligence and if I were you, I'd trust him.” She forced a smile that didn't reach her eyes, “Off you pop, _sir._ ”

“You know, you really shouldn't talk to superior officers like that,” The Colonel chided her.

She looked over at him, “I know. But as I'm just a civilian I don't really see how it matters what I say to him. He can just refuse anything I tell him to do. But honestly, sir, I'm of the opinion that you have to earn respect from people and I'm not going to treat people with respect just because of a title. Or rank. Or because they tell me that I should. I respect people who frankly, I think deserve respect.”

“I see...” The Colonel mused, “So like the Doctor?”

She nodded, “I've known the Doctor for a long time. I trust and respect him more than anyone else. I trust you as well, sir. I know the future of this world. I know the person you turn out to be and I really like that person. I respect everything that you have done and will do for people.” She smiled at him, “Knowing the future can be a terrible burden but it also means I know who I can trust. I trust you, I trust the Doctor and I trust the Doctor's friends. Jamie and Victoria are good people. Too good...” She sighed, looking away.

“Well you seem to be a person I can trust as well. You seem to know what's what.” He nodded to her, “When Knight comes back, are you coming with us to try to recover this time and space craft?”

“The TARDIS? Sure!” She grinned at him, “You'd let a civilian join you?”

“I don't see why not. You've got a good head on your shoulders. As long as you can follow orders.”

“Yes, sir. I will, sir.” Hanna was practically bouncing with excitement. “Though, I should tell the Doctor. You won't forget to come tell me, will you?”

The Colonel smiled slightly at her, “Oh, I won't forget. Run along, Miss MacKay.”

She grinned wider, leaving the room and going down to the lab to find the others. She found herself walking behind Evans as he entered the la just ahead of her.

“Hope I'm not disturbing, Doctor, but Staff asked me to give you this.” The Welshman said to him before putting a small model into his hand.

“Where did you get this?” The Doctor asked gravely, recognising it at once as a statue of a Yeti, same as the one they had found at the explosives store.

“On the floor, by that young lad Weams, it was.” Evans explained.

“But this is what brought the Yeti to the explosives store!” The Doctor said out loud, half to himself and half by way of explanation to the others who hadn't been there. “It's obviously been reprogrammed as a homing device and you've given it to me!” He half threw it down onto the table.

Evans looked shocked, “Here, you don't think I had anything to do with these Yeti, do you?”

“Hey, the other models,” Anne interrupted, “They've gone.”

“Someone's nicked them.” Hanna said, “Someone who has had access to this room while we've been in it. So... pretty much anyone apart from the Colonel as I was with him. Though... cowardly as he is, Evans here has given us a vital clue that you're all missing.”

“And what might that be?” The Doctor asked her.

“Well, watching it back I realise that he says something which marks out who is in league with the Yeti. I mean, I can't tell you. You understand, Doctor, about the whole knowledge of the future thing. Things here need to play out. Something to think about though, when you're not busy.”

“Yes, thank you, Hanna. Very helpful I'm sure,” The Doctor said with a sigh.

“Oh! And the Colonel said I could go with them when they go out to try to get to the TARDIS. Which is going to be wicked cool! And I thought I would tell you.”

“Very considerate, I'm sure,” he replied.

“Oh, you better have this,” Evans held out the tobacco tin from before. “And I'll have that back when you've finished with it.”

“Well don't look so unhappy.” The Doctor said, seeing the worry and annoyance on Evans' face at being halfway accused, “We're all under suspicion you know, including me.”

“What's in the tin, Doctor?” Anne asked as Evans left the room.

Hanna sighed and went over to sit beside Jamie and Victoria, “So how are things going?” She asked.

“Oh, the Doctor and Miss Travers have been looking over what the Professor was working on before the Yeti took him,” Jamie explained, “Some kind of... controlling device to try to override the spheres. Though I still don't see why breaking the pyramid didn't work.”

“Maybe because it was only one part of the Intelligence, the main thing being housed elsewhere. The Yeti was just transporting it. And it's had time to go over everything that happened in Tibet and make tactical changes based on it, you can't expect to be able to fight them the same way again.”

“Aye, I suppose you're right.” Jamie replied. “Are they really letting you go out with them to find the TARDIS? The Doctor said that the Colonel wants to try to bring it back here.”

“Well, we're going to try.” She replied, “I don't see it going all that well but... might as well have a bash.”

“Miss MacKay?” Staff Arnold appeared on the doorway, “Colonel Lethbridge-Stewart wants you to join us, he's briefing everyone on how we're going to retrieve this craft of the Doctor's.”

Hanna grinned and jumped to her feet, “Cool, see you later Jamie, Victoria,” she said over her shoulder as she quickly left the room.

She slipped into the room behind Arnold and the Colonel continued his explanation of what their plan was going to be, “So my party will get above ground and approach Covent Garden by Neal Street, is that clear?” He pointed to the places he meant on the map in front of him and waited until they had all confirmed they understood thus far before continuing, “Now, Staff here will be taking the trolley through the tunnel and will arrive, we hope, at the same time as we do. You picked your two men, Staff?”

“Yes, sir. Lane and Evans.” Arnold told him.

“Right. Now, as soon as we get there, we shall be looking for a blue police box. Miss MacKay is coming along as part of my party as she knows exactly what it is where looking for and has an idea of where it might be. I want that box either out of the station or onto the trolley as quickly as possible. Is that understood?” Once they had once again confirmed this he seemed to relax slightly, “Right, any questions?”

“Yes, sir.” The man standing beside Arnold said, “This, um, police box. Is it important?”

Lethbridge-Stewart suppressed a sigh, “Corporal Blake, we would hardly be going to all this trouble if it weren't.”

This seemed to shut Blake up and Captain Knight spoke next, “Who's going to look after the civilians, sir?”

“I'd like you to stay behind and look after them, Captain Knight.” Lethbridge-Stewart replied, “The Doctor's got work to do. Right, gentlemen and lady, time to go.” He moved away from the map before anyone could reply and led them out of the room towards the main doors.

 

Hanna hesitated in the doorway before pulling her bag off her shoulder for the first time since she had arrived and held it out to Captain Knight, “Look after this.” She told him, “It contains some things that mean an awful lot to me. So can you please put it somewhere safe for me? I don't want anything broken.”

Knight looked from her to the bag for a moment before nodding, “You better be hurrying along, the Colonel will be waiting for you.”

She smiled at him, “Yes, sir.” She replied respectfully before turning and leaving the room, hurrying after the group of soldiers.

She found the Colonel talking to Jamie and Victoria, “Ah, there you are,” he said to her, “I was just explaining to McCrimmon and Miss Waterfield here where we're off to.”

She smiled, “Good. See you later, Jamie, Victoria. Make sure you tell the Doctor what's going on.”

“Aye,” Jamie nodded slightly and smiled back, “And you look after yourself.”

Hanna laughed, “I always do. In the same way that you do.”

“Come along, we better be off.” The Colonel told her before starting to walk away.

“See you later!” Hanna called over her shoulder to the others as she followed him.

The Colonel led the small group out into the tunnels and then up, emerging into bright sunlight. Hanna looked around with wonder. She hadn't been to London very often in her time and now it looks different. Amazing. The streets laid out ahead of her. Though something was off. There should be people but there was nothing. The Yeti and the Intelligence having taken over the Underground meant that everyone had gone. It was only them left. A ghost town. They stopped to take a look around, the Colonel in front and he turned his head to talk to them in a low voice.

“Right, so far, so good. If we don't see any Yeti, we should make Covent Garden in about ten minutes. Come on.” He started to move again and Hanna along with the seven soldiers followed him. Hanna continued to look around nervously, knowing that the Yeti couldn't be far away. They marched onwards before the Colonel stopped suddenly and everyone stopped with him, seeing the same thing that he had. The Yeti. Four of them. Directly ahead. Standing in the way between them and Covent Garden. As they looked around they saw more Yetis approaching. Two from the street to their left and three more advancing from behind.

“In here, quick.” The Colonel instructed them before moving quickly to their right and through a gate, “Close the gate,” he instructed as soon as they were all through. “We have to find a way out. Now, split up.” He ordered the men, “Miss MacKay, stay with me.”

“Too damn right, I'm sticking with you!” She replied as the group started to run, naturally splitting off into smaller teams of two like they'd done it hundreds of times before. Hanna looked around as she heard gunshots and roars. More Yeti. And close by. She whined softly to herself, wondering while she'd agreed to this.

They rounded a corner and met up with one of the groups, “Yetis. Three of them, sir!” One of the men told them.

“Grenades!” The Colonel shouted and they all pressed up against the wall of crates that hide them from the Yeti. One of the men pulled the pin on the grenade and threw it towards the advancing Yetis. The inhuman creatures fell but there were more coming to take their place. They were trapped. Completely surrounded by the steadily advancing Yetis.

“Sir, they're smashing down the gate!” someone shouted. In the confusion, Hanna couldn't tell who it was. The air was thick with gunfire and the roars of the Yetis as they came ever closer.

“We can't hold them, sir!” Another voice yelled.

“Over the top, all of you!” The Colonel instructed and they did, clambering over a sheet-covered barrier that gave them a little respite. Someone helped Hanna to push herself over the top but she dropped neatly to her feet and looked around. Someone screamed and she turned to look back at where they had come. Two of the men had been on the top when they Yeti had reached them. Plucking them from the wall and throwing them backwards. The Colonel advanced around the corner and tried to shoot at the Yetis, only causing them to turn their attention to him instead. “Grenades! Over the top!” He shouted towards the group.

“Grenades!” Someone echoed and Hanna watched as one by one the soldiers pulled out the pins on the grenades and threw them over the top. Each one waiting until the previous grenade had exploded before throwing his own.

The Colonel was back, “Through the yard! Come on!” He shouted over the noise before running, Hanna and the two soldiers with the bazookas following. “Bazooka here, cover the others,” The Colonel instructed, pointing at a couple of sturdy looking crates.

The men did as he said but Hanna had eyes only for the advancing Yeti, trying not to let on how completely terrified she was. All she was aware of was the gunfire and her own racing heartbeat. She could hear nothing else. In her peripheral vision she saw something moving and jumped. Realising that it was the Colonel and that he had said something, she followed him, clenching her fists to hide how much she was trembling. They slammed against the shutters of a warehouse and turned, watching in horror as the Yetis advanced and covered their allies in the foul web. They ran inside and hide themselves as best as they could.

“Are you all right?” The Colonel asked Hanna.

“Huh?” She looked up, taking a moment to realise what he had said, “Oh... aye, I'm fine.”

“I'm sorry. I should never have allowed you up with us.” He told her solemnly.

She shook her head, “I would have asked and insisted upon it anyway.” She chuckled slightly, the noise high-pitched and nervous, “Just didn't realise how bloody scary those Yeti are close up.”

“Yes, they are rather terrifying,” he replied. “We'll get out of here all right.”

Hanna looked up at him and nodded, “I know. Thanks, Brigadier.” She sighed, “I mean... Colonel.”

“You've done that a lot,” he pointed out.

“I know.” She replied, “but now is not the time nor place to discuss what I may or may not know about your future.”

“Agreed,” he nodded, looking back towards the door to the warehouse. At the sound of Yeti advancing they moved back, dodging around corners and trying to obstruct the Yeti as much as possible.

As they moved, Hanna tried as hard as possible to remember something that could help them. Something she knew from this episode. What were the others doing? She knew the Doctor and Knight had gone to the surface and were nearby, searching for components and... “Yeti...” she mumbled before saying in a louder voice, “Brigadier, your pockets!”

“What?” He shouted over the sound of his gun firing against and again.

“Turn out your pockets. Get rid of the homing device!” She told him, “Quickly!”

They clambered on top of a set of boxes before he could do as she said, finding a small model of a Yeti in his right trouser pocket. “What the devil-” he started but was cut off by the scream of the soldier who had a minute before been beside them.

“Give it here!” She told him, holding her hand out for it. He pressed it into her hand before the pair of them jumped down from the boxes again and made for the exit. She looked down at the model, trying to think of a way of destroying it. She placed it down on the ground as the Colonel reloaded. “Shoot it.” She told him, “Quickly! Destroy the model. It's a homing device for the Yeti.”

They continued to run, the Colonel doing a strange sideways hop as he tried to shoot behind him as they ran. He fired at the model and it exploded into shards. The homing beacon calling the Yetis to them had gone but they were still no way out of the woods yet. Now he turned and the pair of them flat out ran the way they had come, back down into the tunnels as quickly as they could. No one else had made it back with them.

“We need to talk to the Doctor,” Hanna panted, leaning on the wall as the Colonel barricaded the way they had come. She was still shaking but not about to give up yet.

He nodded, leading her more slowly through the corridor and into the lab where the Doctor, Jamie, Victoria, Anne and Evans were all congregated.

“You all right?” Victoria asked them as they closed the door to the lab firmly behind them.

“What happened?” Jamie continued.

“Colonel, what happened?” The Doctor pressed more urgently as the Colonel went over and leaned on the table while Hanna slumped into a chair and closed her eyes.

“Gone.” The Colonel said.

“Oh, not all of them?” Victoria asked, worried.

“Yes...” The Colonel replied softly.

“All of them?” The Doctor repeated in disbelief.

“I said so, didn't I?” The Colonel snapped at him, “All of them except myself and Miss MacKay here. Evans, what about your party?” Hanna cracked her eyes opened to see Evans shaking his head. “Arnold?” The Colonel pressed.

“Gone, sir.” Evans confirmed out loud.

“Aye, Captain Knight, too,” Jamie told them solemnly.

“Knight?” The Colonel shook his head slightly, “Hopeless... Can't fight them. It's seems... indestructible! You can't fight them. You were right, Doctor, when you said they were... formless, shapeless... you were right.”

“It's okay though, Colonel...” Hanna said softly, “We got rid of the homing beacons... it's not completely hopeless. And I'll say this now, I trust every single person in this room.” She had her eyes closed again, just listening to people talk. She was exhausted, physically and mentally. She felt like she could sleep for a year but she also knew there were another two episodes left of this story. “Apart from the Yeti at the door...”

“The what?!” The Doctor exclaimed and she heard movement in the room before the roar of a Yeti and the door was smashed down. Gasps of horror and surprise as Professor Travers entered the room behind the two Yetis. Hanna didn't have to open her eyes to know that he was there. Even if details of the episodes were a bit hazy, she knew the cliffhangers.

 


	10. The Web of Fear Part 3

 

Everyone spoke over each other. The only two lines that Hanna really made out being the two that made her smile most. That being; the Colonel's bemused “I just don't understand what's happening” and Jamie in surprise telling the Professor “You're Travers” that being something that everyone – including Travers himself – was already aware of.

Hanna cracked her eyes opened as Travers started to speak, “I am the Intelligence.” He said in a low hissing voice each breath seeming deep and laboured. The others started to protest but he silenced them, “Listen to me. I speak to you with this man's voice because the time has come for you to understand my purpose.”

“I already understand.” Hanna mumbled, “Does that mean I can nap instead of listen?” She curled up in her chair and closed her eyes again.

“Quiet,” The Intelligence continued, “You defeated me in Tibet, Doctor.”

“Yes.” The Doctor replied, not sure where this was going.

“Now, you have fallen into the trap that I have so carefully prepared for you.”

“Oh, I see,” The Doctor said, “So that's why you've brought me here. Revenge.”

“Oh no.” The Intelligence told him, “Revenge is a petty human emotion. My purpose for you is far more interesting.”

“And what's that?” The Doctor asked it.

“Through time and space I have observed you, Doctor. Your mind surpasses that of all other creatures.” It said.

“No shit,” Hanna muttered sleepily, “He's the Doctor. Being more intelligent than most other things and saving the world is pretty much his MO...”

“What do you want?” The Doctor insisted.

“You!” The Intelligence told him bluntly. “Your mind will be invaluable to me. Therefore I have invented a machine that will drain all past knowledge and experience from your mind.”

“But you'll kill him!” Victoria protested.

“No, he will survive with his mind unharmed, only empty as a newborn child's.” The Intelligence told them.

“And if I refuse?” The Doctor asked it.

“Then I shall have to seek the help of lesser mortals, like your companions here. And many, many others.” It said.

“But you can't!” The Doctor argued.

“I can and I will.” The Intelligence replied firmly.

“Yes, I believe you.” The Doctor conceded.

“You can't, we'll fight!” Hanna was almost asleep but she smiled at Jamie's defiant protest, his willingness to fight to the end being one of the things she loved most about the Highlander.

“But that will not do.” The Intelligence said to them, “The Doctor must submit willingly.”

The Doctor seemed to not see any other way out of the situation, “And if I do submit, what of the others?”

“Then the others will go free.” It replied.

“And my father too?” Anne Travers asked, having been silently listening to the others talk.

“Oh, him, too.” The Intelligence agreed. “I am only using this body to communicate with you.”

“Oh, he... he didn't help you before, then?” Anne replied, relieved.

“Oh, no. I have many other human hands at my command.” It told them, almost triumphant in the way it wheezed out this piece of information.

“And who are they?” The Doctor asked hopefully.

“Always questioning!” The Intelligence replied, “Even now, you're seeking to destroy me. I see, I shall have to guide your thoughts.” It moved forwards, reaching out and grabbed Victoria's arm, pulling her away from the group. Hanna forced her eyes open and watched as the others moved forwards to try to stop him but the two Yeti roared, blocking their path. The Intelligence turned to face them again, “Cooperate and the child will be unharmed.” It told them. “You have twenty minutes to make up your mind.”

“Let me go, Doctor!” Jamie shouted, struggling in his friend's grip, wanting to stop the Intelligence from taking the girl away.

“Jamie, don't be a fool, you don't stand a chance!” The Doctor replied.

“Let me go!” Jamie continued to protest, “Victoria!”

The desperation in his voice as he continued to fight the Doctor made Hanna's inside twist with sadness. She forced herself to her feet, going over and putting a soft hand on his shoulder, “Stop.” She said softly, “We'll get her back but... but this isn't helping.”

“I've got to try!” He argued, pulling away from them and running to the door. The Colonel got their first and closed it. “Let me past, Colonel.” Jamie insisted.

“No.” The Colonel replied firmly. “The Doctor's right. There have been enough lives wasted.”

“What are we going to do? Just sit around and wait for the next thing to happen?” Jamie continued to protest.

“Of course not.” Hanna snapped, “We're going to bloody well fight it. But just blundering out there is going to do nothing except get you killed! We need to stop... just take stock of the situation. Do you really think that going out there and letting yourself get killed by a Yeti is the best way to help Victoria because if so then be my guest! But if not then shut the hell up unless you have something constructive to say!”

“So what do you suggest we do?” He replied sharply.

Hanna let out a long sigh, “Try not to argue amongst ourselves. Let the Doctor get on with the work that needs to be done. Look, I'm not saying we should do nothing I'm just saying that we need to come up with a plan instead of blundering into anything.” She swallowed, “Plus there's a Yeti guarding the door so you wouldn't be able to get out after her anyway.”

“I'm sure Victoria is quite safe,” The Doctor said.

“Safe?” Jamie turned to face him, still angry.

“The Intelligence knows that if it harms her, I won't cooperate.” The Doctor continued reassuringly.

“Does that go for my father, too?” Anne asked.

“Of course it does.” Hanna replied, slumping back into her chair. “The Intelligence is just that, intelligent. Harming the Doctor's friends is the one thing that is guaranteed to making sure he will never cooperate.”

“Permission to speak, sir?” Evans asked the Colonel.

“Yes, what is it, Evans?” The Colonel replied wearily.

“Well, stop me if I've got it wrong, sir, but if this Intelligence thing here gets the Doctor, will he leave us all along?”

“Yes, that's what it looks like.” The Colonel told him, “What's on your mind?”

“Well, sir, why don't we just let it have him?” Evans ventured. “Then we could all go home.”

“Because it's a bloody stupid idea. At least for now. We've got twenty minutes to come up with a proper plan.” Hanna said from where she was sitting, watching them. “The Doctor has saved the lives of so many people and will continue to do so for thousands of years to come. He is brilliant and mad and amazing and definitely not deserving of some coward like you wanting to give him up for the sake of saving your own pathetic skin.”

“Yes, thank you, that'll do, Hanna.” The Doctor glanced over at her with a smile.

“Will this Intelligence keeps its word, do you think?” The Colonel asked.

“It didn't in Tibet,” Jamie said sullenly.

“Jamie,” The Doctor chided.

“Least ways it's a chance.” Evans said.

“But it's not you that's taking the risk, is it?” Jamie snapped at him.

“Well I reckon he ought to give himself up now.” The Welshman replied stubbornly.

“Evans, when I want your opinion, I'll ask for it.” The Colonel told him.

“It's all right, Evans.” The Doctor said, “If I don't come up with the answer, I will give myself up, I promise.”

“Only doing it now would be stupid.” Hanna added, “We've still got time and a chance to come up with another plan.”

While the Doctor and Jamie talked amongst themselves, Hanna went over and sat beside the Colonel, “This will all work itself out, you know.” She told him, “It may seem hard and hopeless now but everything is going to be fine.”

“Ah, yes,” he replied, “You're the girl from the future.”

“Well, yes,” She admitted, “But it's not just because of that. I wholeheartedly trust in the Doctor. And one day, you will too. He's smart and brave, strong and clever and... and so are you. I trust you as much as I trust him, Colonel. Science leads, Colonel. The military is a strong and necessary power but without the scientist to create the technology and drive it forwards, it wouldn't amount to much more than men with pointy sticks shouting at each other from across a field.”

“Hey, wait a minute!” Evans interrupted from over by the door.

“Oh what is it, Evans.” The Colonel said, exasperated, “What's the matter now?”

“Stand back everyone,” Evans said before throwing the door open. The Yetis had gone. “I thought I heard it go,” he continued proudly.

“Yes, we'd better make sure,” The Colonel replied slowly, “Evans, you, myself and McCrimmon will go and search the place. Doctor, you'd better stay behind here and get on with your tinkering.”

“I'm coming with you,” Hanna said, picking up her bag and slinging it over her shoulder, glad Knight had left it in the lab when he took the Doctor to the surface.

“All right, I doubt very much I'd be able to stop you.” The Colonel replied. The four of them left the room, looking around tentatively but it seemed that Evans was right, the Yeti had gone. They stopped in the ops room, looking at the map solemnly.

“I Suppose that Yeti was left there as a kind of rear guard,” Jamie mused out loud.

“Possibly,” The Colonel replied.

“If we went into the tunnels, we'd run into them again.” Jamie continued.

“Yes, probably would.” The Colonel didn't quite see where this was going.

“But supposing we were to go over the top?” The Highlander said, “You see, Colonel, as I see it, there's only one way for them to go, south.”

“Jamie...” Hanna sighed.

Unperturbed, Jamie continued, “So we could get ahead of them...”

“What, take them by surprise you mean?” The Colonel seemed to be getting what he was saying.

“It's not going to work.” Hanna replied, “There are hundreds of Yeti both in the tunnels and above ground.”

“What's the point.” The Colonel said to them, “We can't fight those things. Trust me, I've tried.”

“Anyway, we'd never get back in, sir.” Evans pointed out, “All the stations are locked.”

“Well we might find one that's open.” Jamie said fairly, “I mean, after all, the Yeti get in and out. Why can't we?”

“But we don't know where they're taking Victoria. What's the point in trying to cut them off if we don't know where they're heading.” Hanna argued, “And if we get lost out above ground or murderised by the Yeti, who's going to help the Doctor?”

“Well if you're all too scared, I'll go myself.” Jamie said, turning away and heading towards the door.

“I didn't say I was scared, I was saying it's a stupid idea!” Hanna protested. “It's pointless!”

“Well maybe it is,” The Colonel said, going over towards Jamie, “But at least we'll be doing something active.”

“What about the Doctor and miss Travers, sir?” Evans asked, joining them.

“Oh, yes. Mustn't leave them unprotected.” The Colonel agreed, “You stay here, Evans.”

“Right, sir.” Evans agreed.

“And don't go taking any chances.” The Colonel told him before he and Jamie started to leave the room.

“Oh for goodness sake,” Hanna muttered, “You're all completely barmy!” She said to no one in particular before following them out, “But there's no way you're leaving me behind.”

“Good to have you on side, Miss MacKay,” The Colonel said to her. “Let's get this scoped out as soon as possible and report back.” They walked until they reached the door that would lead them up to the surface. The Colonel and Jamie listened against it, “You think it's safe?” The Colonel queried.

“There's only one way to find out,” Jamie told him.

“Two ways, actually.” Hanna put in, “You could always listen to me.”

“Well, what do you think, then?” The Colonel asked her.

“I think this whole thing is completely pointless and puts everyone in danger. That more likely than not, there's either going to be a Yeti or fungus behind that door.” She replied, folding her arms.

“Shall we chance it?” Jamie asked the Colonel.

Lethbridge-Stewart seemed to consider this for a moment before nodding, “Why not?”

“I tried to warn you...” Hanna muttered as the pair of them opened the door, only to find the corridor behind was filled with pulsating fungus. “Shut the door!” She shouted at them.

“Hard as you can,” The Colonel instructed as he and Jamie struggled to get the door shut again. “Put your back into it.” Once they had it closed as much as possible the Colonel nodded to Hanna, “Fire door by the stairs, you go and unhitch it while we hold it back.”

“You better get a shufty on!” She told them over her shoulder as she ran down the stairs to the door and shoved it open with her shoulder, “It's open! Now!” She yelled to them, hearing their footsteps as they ran to the door, “I told you!” She said once they were through and the door had been closed again behind them, “I bloody told you!”

They ran back to the lab, pushing their way in and closing the door behind them. “Doctor!” Jamie exclaimed.

“It's homing!” The Doctor told them in delight.

“Oh, never mind that!” Jamie argued.

“Why, what's happened?” The Doctor asked them, now worried.

“We tried to get out of the surface door but the fungus was there!”

“Well, I'm not surprised.” The Doctor replied. “I thought the Intelligence would try to hem us in.”

“I did try to warn them.” Hanna said, “But they decided to open it anyway.”

“Unfortunately it's got into HQ.” The Colonel told them. “Don't worry. Managed to get a fire door closed, should hold it.”

“Come on, Anne. We must get to work.” The Doctor said, picking up the sphere from the floor and going back over to the bench.

“Doctor, tell me, this sphere of yours, exactly how is it going to help us?” The Colonel asked.

“Well the sphere itself? It won't.” The Doctor replied, “But it will help us to test the control box.”

“Is that all?” Jamie protested. “You mean to say you've wasted all this time just to...”

“Wasted? We haven't been wasting our time!” The Doctor argued back.

“I must agree with the boy, Doctor. You don't seem to have achieved very much.” The Colonel put in.

“A lot more than you have,” Hanna told him. “The control box means the ability to override the Intelligence's commands and control a Yeti. Which I think is a lot more productive than letting the fungus into the base!”

“And if you left us alone, we'd get along much quicker.” Anne added.

“Right. Well come on, McCrimmon. We'll leave them to it.” The Colonel replied, leaving the room with Jamie following.

“Mind if I just sit here and watch?” Hanna asked, sitting down and leaning back, “I'll be quiet and good. Just don't fancy going into the tunnels again on a wild goose chase.”

“Be my guest. Though I do wish those two would stop wandering off.” The Doctor smiled at her before he and Anne returned to their work.

Hanna watched them quietly, enjoying being able to just listen to the technical talk and not being expected to in some way contribute. The Doctor and Anne were in their element here and there was nothing she could do but let them get on with it. She watched the sphere travel back and forth across the floor as they tested it but as it left the room she forced herself up and followed them.

“No, don't shoot!” The Doctor shouted from ahead of her and she quickened her step, turning into the room to find the Doctor and Anne looked down at the sphere and Evans standing on a chair watching it, his gun still aimed.

“Is that on our side, then?” Evans asked.

“It is now.” The Doctor replied, fumbling for a small device and speaking into it. The sphere stopped when he told it to. “Were you scared?” He asked Evans teasingly.

“What? No!” Evans scoffed, “I mean, I just got up here to get a better aim, that's all.”

“Lies!” Hanna grinned, “Glad you didn't shoot it though.”

“How did you make it stop, then?” Evans asked the Doctor.

“Simple, I told it to.” He replied.

Evans looked confused for a moment before stepping down off the chair and crouching beside the sphere, “Here, ball.” He said, “Why don't you do back to where you've come from?” When the sphere didn't move he stood up and looked at the Doctor, “Now pull the other one.”

“Oh, show him, Doctor.” Anne said with a smile.

“All right, I will.” He replied before speaking into the device he was holding, “Move forward.” At his command the silver sphere started to move, rolling forwards. “Stop. Move to the left.” He continued. “Stop.” Once the ball had followed all his commands he looked at Evans, “There you are. How about that?”

Hanna laughed at the look of amusement on Evans' face. “That's great!” The Welshman grinned, “Make a smashing toy, that would.”

“Toy? That's a highly complex piece of equipment.” Anne said sharply.

“Oh hush.” Hanna grinned, “Whether it is or not, it'd still be a fun toy. If it was a toy. We had something like that in my classroom at school when I was small. Only instead of speaking you'd type the commands into a system on top of it and watch where it went. Loads of fun trying to get it to navigate around chairs and tables... and other students. Though it crashed into things a lot.”

“I still don't see how this is going to help us,” Evans said.

“But it obeys our commands.” The Doctor replied like it was obvious.

“So?” Evans was still confused.

“Well once we get it inside a Yeti, we'll have a powerful ally!” The Doctor told him excitedly.

“Inside a Yeti?” Evans echoed in shock.

“Yes. Will you help us?” Anne asked.

“You must be joking! Go near one of them things? I may be stupid but I'm not daft.”

“Oh. Very well, Anne, I shall have to do it by myself.” The Doctor said, crouching to pick up the sphere.

“Oh, I'm coming with you, Doctor.” Anne said.

“No, it's far too dangerous.” The Doctor told her.

“There you are! What did I tell you?” Evans said triumphantly.

“I'll go with you.” Hanna said firmly, “Anne, make sure Evans doesn't do anything stupid, won't you?”

Anne sighed, “Oh I suppose so.” She replied.

“Good, good.” The Doctor smiled at her, “Come along, Hanna. Let's try Warren Street.” He said and the pair of them left the room.

“So what's the plan, Doctor?” Hanna asked as they left the building, emerging once more into a dark tunnel.

“Well, we go find a Yeti, use the control box to make it stop and then swap the spheres. It's all very simple really.” He told her.

She smiled, “Sounds it. In theory. In practice...”

“It'll be fine,” He assured her as they walked, searching for a suitable Yeti to take command of.

They found themselves face to face with a wall of fungus before they could reach Warren Street. “Let's take a closer look,” The Doctor said and moved closer, examining it, “Do you think it's mutating?”

“No idea,” Hanna replied, “I'm not a scientist, but it does look different to how it did earlier. Maybe we should try Yeti hunting somewhere else?”

“Perhaps you're right,” He replied. The pair of them turned away, starting to walk back they way they had come. Before they could take more than half a dozen steps a lumbering shape loomed out of the dark towards them. “Give me the control box, Hanna.” The Doctor said, holding out his hand for it.

“You've got it,” She told him, not taking her eyes off the Yeti.

“What? Hold the sphere.” He passed it to her as he searched his expansive pockets for the small control box. He pulled it out and pressed the button.

“Not close enough...” Hanna mumbled, “Stupid short range.” She started at the Yeti as it moved closer, lifting a hand to strike them.

“It's going to work.” He replied, then more desperately, “It's got to work!”

Work it did. The Yeti was barely half a metre ahead of them before it froze and Hanna breathed a sigh of relief, “Well that was cutting it a bit fine.”

“Don't tell me you were worried,” The Doctor looked at her.

“Of course not.” She replied, “It's something you helped make, how could it ever not work!”

“Is that sarcasm?” He raised an eyebrow.

“Perhaps,” She answered sheepishly. “Let's get these spheres switched and then Fred here will be all ready to go.”

“Good idea.” He replied, “Would you like to hold this for me?” He passed her the control box by balancing it on top of the sphere she was already holding, before getting something out of his pockets and digging the other sphere out of the Yeti's chest. He passed that to her as well before taking their own modified sphere and putting that in place of the old one. Once he was done he took a step back and picked up the microphone device from where it was hanging around his neck, “Now, then. Turn around!” They both laughed as the Yeti turned to face the other way. The Doctor continued, “Now, then. With my reprogrammed sphere and the control box, we should be able to work him over quite a distance.” He looked up at the Yeti, “Oh, put your arm down.” He looked back at Hanna with a grin, “Now we've got a chance. Come on.” They turned and started to move along the tunnel back towards HQ. “Oh, we mustn't forget him.” The Doctor turned and spoke into the microphone again, “Come on, Fred, at the double.” He told it before the three of them started to walk through the tunnel.

“This is so cool.” Hanna grinned as they walked, “Fred the friendly Yeti.”

 


	11. The Web of Fear Part 4

They lapsed into a comfortable silence for a while until the Doctor suddenly stopped, turning to Hanna. Though before he could talk Fred pushed between them, blindly continuing to follow orders.

“Stop.” The Doctor said into his microphone. “Now come back here. Stop.” He instructed the Yeti and it did as he said. Now the Doctor looked at Hanna, “I've been thinking. Until we know who else is working for the Intelligence, everyone must be suspect.” When she nodded he continued, “The fewer people who know this chap's on our side, the better. Unless you're willing to tell me who is working for the Intelligence now?”

She sighed, “I would if I could, Doctor. But... I dinnae know if you knowing would change anything. Though, I would say I trust Jamie, Victoria and the Brigadier,” She sighed before correcting herself, “The _Colonel_ , I mean. One day I'll get it right...”

“Yes, well even so...” He mused.

“But yeah, keeping it a secret is a good idea. I mean whoever is working for the Intelligence will know he is anyway so if he's the only person who knows it could help narrow it down.” She smiled at him.

“Yes... Ah! I know!” He moved to stand in front of Fred before speaking into the microphone again, “You are to remain here for...” he paused and looked at Hanna, “Do you think a minute will be enough?”

“Should be.” She replied, “We're not that far away from HQ now.”

The Doctor thought for a moment before continuing into the microphone, “You are to remain here for... 90 seconds and then resume acting on orders from the Intelligence until you are told otherwise. Is that understood?”

As if in reply, Fred roared, causing the Doctor and Hanna to laugh.

“Right,” The Doctor said once more into the microphone, “Switch off for 90 seconds starting from now.”

On his command, Fred went completely still. They stood there for a moment before turning and starting to move away as quickly as they dared through the tunnels.

“Is that Jamie and the Colonel?” Hanna asked after a few moments of silence, pointing at two figures ahead of them.

“Yes, I believe so,” The Doctor replied.

“Come on!” They heard Jamie's voice echo through the tunnels and the Scottish boy came forwards to meet them. Once they were closer he said, “There's fungus at Warren Street.”

“Yes, I know.” The Doctor replied.

“Oh.” Jamie sounded slightly disappointed that he hadn't been able to give them some new information, “Hey, what you doing down here anyway?” He continued.

“Well, as a matter of fact-” the Doctor started to explain but stopped as he noticed Lethbridge-Stewart close by. “I'll tell you another time. Hello, Colonel!”

“Glad to see you're both safe,” The Colonel said as he approached them. “Any luck with your gadgets?”

The Doctor and Hanna exchanged a glance and she shrugged slightly. He looked back at the Colonel, “No, afraid not.”

“Pity.” He replied.

“Any news of Victoria?” The Doctor asked them.

“Yes,” Jamie replied, “She's at the Piccadilly station.”

“Piccadilly?” The Doctor echoed.

“Yes,” The Colonel replied, “As is Professor Travers.”

“Are they all right?” Hanna asked.

“Yes,” Lethbridge-Stewart told them.

“How do you know?” The Doctor asked, suddenly suspicious.

“I ran across Arnold. He saw them.” Lethbridge-Stewart replied.

“Arnold?” The Doctor frowned.

“But Evans said he'd been eaten by the fungus.” Hanna pointed out.

“Yes. He went into it, all right, but he came out again somehow.” The Colonel told them what he'd found out. “Says he can't remember what happens.”

“Fishy,” Hanna shrugged, “But as least we know where the others are and that they're okay.”

“Well, we haven't got any time to find out what did happen,” The Doctor said.

“Yes, your 20 minutes?” The Colonel said. When they others nodded in clarification he became suddenly businesslike. “Well, come on, then.” He said before turning and heading back towards HQ.

“So what now?” Hanna asked the Doctor as they started to follow.

“We can't do anything until we get back to Headquarters. And if we've got time Anne and I will try to increase the range of the control units. Come on.” They moved to catch up with the others.

Once they were almost at HQ, the Colonel suddenly stopped. “What is it, Colonel?” The Doctor asked, the others crowding in behind him to try to see what was going on in the gloom ahead.

“Something up ahead.” The Colonel said.

“We've got to keep going, though.” Hanna told them.

“What, fungus behind, you mean?” Lethbridge-Stewart asked.

“Yup.” She replied, “And God knows what else.”

“Is that you, Colonel?” A voice rang out from ahead of them.

“It's Arnold.” The Colonel sounded relieved at the familiar voice, “Hang on, Staff!”

“Why isn't he at HQ?” Jamie asked as the Colonel went on to greet Arnold.

“We're about to find out,” Hanna told them, moving to join the Colonel. A moment later the rest of the ground joined them.

“Sir, the fungus,” Arnold said, “It's swamped HQ.”

“No!” The Doctor asked.

“I'm afraid so, sir. The main doors should keep it out of the tunnels for a bit but...” Arnold stopped, panting slightly.

“Where's Evans?” The Colonel asked.

“He ran off,” Anne Travers told them. “We left HQ and when Staff Arnold told him to come with us to find you he just left.”

There was a roar behind them, signalling the arrival of two Yetis. They turned to run but more emerged from the tunnels there, surrounding them.

“Our time's up!” Staff Arnold said, losing the calmness he'd had a moment ago, “We're all together! They've come to fetch us!”

“No shit...” Hanna muttered to herself as the Yeti rounded them up and started to walk them through the tunnels.

A few minutes later they stopped and the Yeti in front of them turn, letting out a grumbling roar as if trying to tell them something before it walked away, leaving them where they were. Hanna waved cheerily as it went.

“I'm going to make a break for it, sir.” Arnold said under his breath.

“Think you can?” Lethbridge-Stewart asked him.

“Well, it's worth a try. On the loose, sir, I might be able to do something. If only you can distract them, sir.” Arnold replied.

Hanna, Anne and Jamie – hearing them talking – had come up behind to listen. “It's worth a shot,” Hanna said softly.

“All right, Staff.” The Colonel conceded.

“I think he wants us to go on, sir.” Arnold said as the Yeti that had moved away turned and let out another grumbling noise.

“Right. Here we go.” The Colonel said, starting to walk. A moment later he fell with a cry and the rest of the group, minus Arnold, crowded around him. The Yeti behind them roared, clearly wanting them to keep moving. By the time the commotion was over and the group had resumed walking, Arnold had gone.

They walked in silence until they reached Piccadilly Circus station and the Yeti stopped. The group now gathered on the platform. While the Colonel and Anne stood close by talking amongst themselves, Hanna, Jamie and, the Doctor sat on the edge of the platform. The Doctor got out his recorder and started to play.

“Can I have a go?” Hanna asked after a moment.

“Hmm?” The Doctor stopped and looked at her, “Oh, I suppose so.” He passed her the instrument.

She examined it for a moment before starting to play it, using the music to cover the sound of the Doctor's voice as he explained everything that had been going on with Fred the Yeti to Jamie.

“But why didn't you tell me all this before?” Jamie asked softly.

Hanna stopped playing, “The others were around...” she said, equally softly.

“You don't think the Colonel...?” Jamie glanced behind him.

“Well, you never know, do you?” The Doctor replied.

Jamie looked at the Yeti around them for a moment be leaning in with another question, “Which one is ours?”

“I don't know...” The Doctor told him truthfully.

“What?” Jamie seemed slightly taken aback.

“There was a lot going on,” Hanna told him, “Kind of hard to keep track when they all look alike. Plus we didn't want to everyone to know about him so he's currently still obeying the orders of the Intelligence. He could be anywhere.”

“Oh that's a great help...!” Jamie whispered sarcastically.

“Well, never mind.” The Doctor said, “I want you to take this microphone and keep on calling our Yeti to you. Hanna, if you can I want you to go with him.”

“How will I know I've got the right one?” Jamie asked.

“When it doesn't attack us,” Hanna told him with a smile.

The Doctor chuckled before his voice took on a more serious tone, “I hope you don't suffer from claustrophobia.”

“Eh?” Jamie asked.

“Fear of tight spaces,” Hanna explained.

“Oh. No, I don't think so.” He told them.

“Me neither. At least, not badly. I kind of get a little anxious if it's a really tight space but I think that's kind of normal.” Hanna grinned at them.

“Good,” The Doctor said softly, “I want the two of you to hide in those crates just there until the Yeti come and take us away. You think you can manage that?”

Hanna looked over at where he was pointing and nodded, “Oh aye, I should think so. Come along, McCrimmon. Let's get this over and done with.”

The pair of them waited until the Yeti seemed to be not paying them any attention before climbing as silently as possible into the containers, closing the lids behind them. It was dark. And cold. And cramped. Hanna closed her eyes and leaned against of the walls, listening to everyone talk around them. After what seemed like forever, the Yetis finally arrived. She waited a little longer until she could no longer hear anything before very slowly and carefully lifting the lid of the container and peering out. The platform was deserted. “Jamie.” She whispered, “Come on, it's safe.”

A moment later he too emerged. The pair of them were now alone, standing on the platform at Piccadilly Circus with no Yeti to be seen.

“What was all that about with Evans?” He asked her.

“Oh, just him being himself.” She replied with a shrug, “A coward.”

He nodded slightly, fumbling for the microphone and calling for their Yeti to come towards them. “How long do you think this will take?” He glanced at her.

“No idea.” She replied honestly before sighing, “Look, Jamie... I'm sorry about snapping at you earlier.”

“Aye, it's all right.” He replied with a slight shrug.

“No, it's not.” She sighed again, “Look, I really like you. You're brave and strong-willed. And that's stuff that I really do like about you. But what does drive me mad is the way you bowl into things without really thinking about the consequences. Though... I guess you wouldn't really be you if you didn't... I guess what I'm trying to say is that I'm sorry I wasn't more tolerant. And that you shouldn't ever change who you are. Because you're brilliant, Jamie McCrimmon.”

“Oh, aye?” He gave her a coy grin, “Well you're not so bad yourself, Hanna MacKay.”

She laughed, “Thanks. Let's just get Fred over here so we can get on with this. I could use a nap.”

“Aye, you're right.” He nodded before starting to once more talk into the microphone, calling for the Yeti to come closer to them, telling it where they were. As he spoke, Hanna leaned on the wall to watch him. A Yeti emerged from the tunnel to their left and Jamie focussed on it, thinking it was Fred. Hanna glanced to their right and smiled as she saw a second Yeti.

“Now,” Jamie said, “Raise your right arm.” They Yeti he was looking at did nothing while the one Hanna was watching did. “Raise your right arm.” He repeated. The Yeti he was watching walked of. “Oh, what's the use.” As if snapped out of a trance, the Yeti on the platform roared.

Hanna laughed at the sudden fear on Jamie's face. “It's fine,” She told him, “Meet Fred.”

Jamie relaxed, telling the Yeti to stop moving, which it did. “So this is our Yeti.” he said with a sigh of relief.

“Yup. Though, I'm kind of disappointed. Being here means that we don't get to see the big reveal of who the Intelligence really is.” She said wistfully.

“So you really have known all along?” He asked.

“Aye, but I couldn't tell anyone.”

“Who is it then?” He pressed.

“Arnold. He was one of the first people to be killed and the Intelligence manifested itself inside his body so as to lure the Doctor into his trap. Which he has managed quite successfully.”

“Aye, I suppose he has.” Jamie replied, “We better get after them. Fred. Take us to wherever the others have been taken.”

The Yeti roared and they all started to walk, Hanna and Jamie allowing themselves to be guided to where the Intelligence had built its pyramid.

“Ah. The last members of the party.” Arnold's voice said from ahead of them as they entered a building. “Come and join us.”

“Jamie!” Victoria said, her voice a mixture of relief and worry.

“Victoria. Are you all right?” He asked, going over and tenderly putting his hands on her shoulders to reassure her.

Hanna moved past them, going and standing beside the Colonel. She kept her head down deliberately to avoid having to see their reunion, her stomach twisting painfully at how evident his affection for the other girl was.

“Your solicitude is touching.” Arnold said, “Nevertheless, it is wasting time.”

“Frightened that something might go wrong?” The Doctor asked. Hanna looked up at him, blinking away her sadness as quickly as she could.

Arnold was silent for a moment before looking at Hanna, “Join the Doctor.”

She smirked at him before going over, standing beside the Doctor and bracing herself for what she knew was coming. As she had anticipated the Intelligence gave an instruction that she was barely aware of and a large hand suddenly gripped her by the throat, pulling her backward and making her choke. Instinctively she reached up, clawing at the hand to try to give herself some more space to breathe.

“Leave her be!” The Doctor shouted.

“I must ensure your complete cooperation, Doctor.” The Intelligence told him. “Should you prove at all unhelpful, your young friend's neck will be broken.”

“I'm fine,” Hanna wheezed, “Get on with it...”

“You gave your word that no one would be harmed.” The Doctor said coldly before raising his voice, “I refuse to submit until you release Hanna!”

“All right.” The Intelligence relented, “Release the girl.”

Hanna could breathe again and cared about nothing else, rubbing her neck and sucking in huge lungfuls of cold air, her lungs enjoying being able to inflate properly once more. She was vaguely aware of the Intelligence's voice and the Doctor's hands on her back but she ignored both. “I'm fine...” she mumbled, straightening up.

“Don't worry.” The Doctor said, “I will do as you say.”

“Good.” The Intelligence said, “Into the machine, Doctor.” It gestured towards the pyramid in the centre of the room.

Everyone spoke at once, whispering over each other in surprise as the Doctor did exactly what the Intelligence told him to, going over and sitting in the pyramid. Only Hanna did nothing, glancing up at the Yeti beside her and sidling a couple of inches to the left.

The Intelligence hooked the Doctor up to the machine before starting to talk again, “Soon your mind will be absorbed by the Great Intelligence,” It told him. “You should be very proud, Doctor. Your knowledge of the past will help to shape the future of this planet.”

“Just get on with it, please.” The Doctor replied, now showing signs of being nervous.

This fact was not lost on the Intelligence, “You seem very anxious suddenly.”

“I just want it over and done with.” The Doctor answered the unspoken question as to why.

“Submission is essential,” The Intelligence continued, “You must understand, Doctor, that without you complete cooperation, this transference would be of no value. Should you offer any opposition, either physical or mental, I shall be forced to punish you. Or rather, your friends. Prepare for a great darkness to cloud your mind.”

As he has been talking, Hanna had been watching the others rather than the Intelligence and therefore had seen Jamie very slowly remove the microphone from his pocket. Now he spoke, “Attack now, attack the Yeti!”

Fred moved at once, roaring and moving in for the attack. There was shouting and roaring. People gesturing and taking over each other. Hanna stepped back, watching everything unfold as Jamie instructed Fred the Yeti on who to attack while he himself went over and started to try to pull the Doctor from the machine, much to the Time Lord's displeasure. Anne and Travers went over to help Jamie and together the three of them hauled the doctor from the machine. Once he was gone, Jamie ripped some of the wiring from the machine and everyone ducked to the floor as it exploded. Arnold and Fred the Yeti were both destroyed by the blast.

Hanna groaned and coughed as she started to get up, rubbing her head, “Not the best idea you've ever had, Jamie.” She said, slightly louder than she anticipated thanks to the way her ears were ringing. She leaned against the nearest wall and rubbed her neck again. She still felt a bit like she was being strangled.

“Well, that's that then, isn't it?” Evans said to the Doctor, looking around.

“You blithering Welsh imbecile!” The Doctor shouted. “Why can't you do what you're told?!”

“Hey, just a minute, Doctor.” Jamie protested, “If we hadn't pulled you out of that, you'd have been a heap of dust by now.”

“You're just as bad.” The Doctor rounded on him, “I told you to leave it to me! Now you've gone and ruined everything!”

“Ruined everything? How can we! We've won, haven't we?” Jamie was confused by his friend's anger.

“No!” The Doctor replied sharply.

“What do you mean, Doctor?” Professor Travers asked.

“Oh, why didn't they leave it to me?” The Doctor said despairingly to no one before starting to explain his plan, “I had crossed the wires of that helmet thing. The Intelligence wouldn't have drained me. I would have drained the Intelligence! As it is, all we got was a crossed circuit.” He walked away from them.

“In theory.” Hanna said, “Though what it also could have done is just caused an explosion and vapourised you both.”

“You mean all we've done is cut off its contact with Earth?” Anne asked, “It's still out there in space somewhere, flying around?”

“Pretty much.” Hanna told them, “It may or may not come back again, who knows!”

“Look!” The Doctor said, gesturing at the floor where the blackened corpse of Staff Arnold lay, gaining a few gasps of shock from the group.

“You mean to say that Arnold wasn't the Intelligence?” The Colonel asked.

“No.” The Doctor replied, “He was just a poor soldier that was taken over. He was probably one of the first to disappear.”

“You mean, it might come back?” Evans asked, still two steps behind in the conversation.

“Well it's still around, isn't it?” The Doctor told them. “I've failed.”

“Bull.” Hanna pushed between the others to stand beside him, talking before anyone else could. “You were awesome! And the Intelligence isn't going to bother anyone for a good long while, I can tell you that for nothing. So this is not a failure. I mean yes, you had hoped things would turn out differently but oh well. You still won. You still saved the Earth.”

“You've got to face facts, old man.” Chorley said, pushing forwards to stand on the Doctor's other side.

“Oh God, are you still here?” Hanna looked over at him with disdain.

Unperturbed, Chorley continued, “By tomorrow morning, you're going to be a household word, a national figure. I want you on my television programme.”

“Oh, no.” The Doctor said firmly.

“Shut up, Chorley.” Hanna said, stepping between them. “That is never going to happen. Not the Doctor's style. No, he's much more 'swoop in and save the day then disappear with as little trace as possible.'”

“Oh, but-” Chorley started to protest.

“No buts.” She replied. “Now, before everyone leaves, I have a little request. Can I please have a photograph?” Hanna called after them, “To remember this by.”

The Doctor turned and considered this for a moment, “Hmm, well I don't see why not. Though aren't your own memories enough?”

She shook her head, “I never want to forget any of this. So I want a photograph.” She grinned winningly at him before turning to the others, “I want everyone in it. Chorley, you can take it if you don't say a word about my camera.”

“And why's that?” The journalist asked her.

“Because quite frankly I don't want you in the picture. You're a slimeball and I don't like you.” She grinned at him, “So yeah, ask anything about the camera or the technology I hit you. Agreed?”

“Oh I suppose so.” He still looked disgruntled.

“None of the rest of you escape either,” She said to Lethbridge-Stewart, Evans, and Professor and Anne Travers. “I want you in it. Even you Evans, though honestly it's a close run thing between you and Chorley here.” She got out her camera and turned it on, “I'll send a copy of the picture to UNIT for you, Brigadier.” She stopped and sighed, “Can I please just call you that? I'm bored of correcting myself.”

“I'd rather you try to get my rank right,” Lethbridge-Stewart replied, a shadow of a smile on his face, “Though, what is UNIT?”

“Ah...” Hanna pulled a face, “Well that's something I was thinking you could maybe work on. I think this world needs some kind of... government agency so that if things like this happen again you're prepared to deal with them. You could lead it. And get promoted?” She grinned at him, “You know, theoretically?”

“Sometimes with you, I don't know whether you're speaking the truth or not. But it's a good idea. I'll suggest it.” Lethbridge-Stewart replied.

Hanna just laughed at this before handing her camera to Chorley and instructing him on how to use it. She then gathered everyone else in so that she was standing in the middle with the Doctor, Jamie and Evans on her left and, Victoria, Lethbridge-Stewart and Professor Travers on her right.

Once Chorley had taken a couple of pictures, just to be on the safe side, she took the camera back from him. “Colonel,” She said, turning to him, “Would you mind escorting the Doctor, Jamie, Victoria and I back to Covent Garden. We can show you that our space and time machine really does exist.”

“Yes, I don't see why not.” he replied, “We can check the tunnel for Yeti on the way. Come along.”

Hanna grinned as the group walked and far too soon they were at Covent Garden. The fungus had gone and standing nonchalantly on the platform was the familiar blue shape of the TARDIS.

“Wonderful to meet you both,” The Doctor said, shaking first the Colonel and then Hanna by the hand.

“And you,” Hanna replied earnestly, “See you again.”

He chuckled and nodded, “Oh I'm sure I will.” He said before going over and unlocking the TARDIS door.

Victoria was next, gracefully shaking her by the hand.

“You're good, Victoria.” Hanna said to her, “A lot better, smarter, and worth more than just being scared by things. And you'll do well to remember it.”

“Will I see you again?” The other girl asked.

Hanna sighed, “I doubt it. But I won't ever forget this.”

Finally Jamie. Jamie who Hanna had fantasised over meeting for so many years. She shook his hand before leaning over and placing a soft kiss on his cheek, “I will never, ever forget about this, Jamie McCrimmon.” She said, “I promise you that. This is something that will always stay with me.”

“Aye,” He smiled at her, “And I won't forget it either.”

She didn't say anything else, just smiled sadly as they turned away and one by one entered the TARDIS. A few moments after the door had closed, they were gone. The TARDIS dematerialising with a wheezing groan of engines.

“Good God!” The Colonel exclaimed.

Hanna laughed, “You get used to it, Colonel. I promise.”

“So what's next for you?” He asked her after a moment.

“Back home. The Doctor will hopefully be here soon to pick me up.” She replied with a shrug. Before she could say anything else the air was once more filled with the sound of the TARDIS engines and she turned as the blue box once more materialised into existence on the platform beside them. “Here's my ride.” She said simply, going over to the doors.

Before she reached them, the door opened and the Eleventh Doctor stepped out. He didn't say anything, just smiled sadly and saluted to the Colonel before looking at Hanna, “You ready to go?”

She nodded, glancing over her shoulder and saluting before the pair of them disappeared inside the TARDIS, leaving the Colonel alone on the platform as once more the blue box faded from view.

 


	12. Power of Three Part 2

“Hey, Brian.” Hanna grinned, bouncing over to the man, “How's the last few months been treating you?”

He looked over at her and smiled, “Oh, hello Hanna. You look happier than when I last saw you.”

“Yep, I've had an awesome time. Had a sneaky trip back along the Doctor's timeline. Not technically allowed but... special trip. Plus I knew it was going to happen so it kind of had to. Otherwise things would be messed up.” She shrugged.

He nodded, “The Doctor around?”

“Yeah, he'll be here in a minute. He wanted to surprise Amy and Rory.” She grinned.

“So, what have you been getting up to?” He asked.

“As I said, quick jaunt down the Doctor's timeline. You know Kate, the woman from UNIT? Well her dad was in charge when it was first set up so I went back to meet him the same day that he and the Doctor met for the first time. Messy business with the London Underground being sealed off. All sorted though.”

He nodded slightly, “Want anything to eat?”

She grinned, “Oh I'd kill for a burger right about now. I'm starving. I haven't eaten anything since 1968.”

“Is that when you ended up then? 1968?” Brian glanced at her as he put some food on a plate and passed it to her.

“Thanks. And yeah. It was weird seeing it in colour, I'll tell you that for nothing!” She laughed, picking up the burger and taking a hungry bite out of it. Out of the corner of her eye she spotted a massive bunch of flowers making its way towards them and nodded towards it, “Here he is...” she mumbled through her mouthful.

“-And bring your husband!” Hanna overheard the Doctor saying to Amy before he looked her way, “Hanna, you coming?”

She shook her head, “Been adventuring a lot. Plus there's food here!” She called back with a grin.

“Oh, suit yourself.” He replied before turning and leaving, Amy and Rory quickly following in his wake.

“You sure you don't want to go with them?” Brain asked her.

“Nah, seven weeks away when I could be here talking to you and eating? They'll be fine without me.” She plucked another burger off a waiting pile beside the barbecue and put in on her plate before going back to eating her first.

Brian laughed, “I can see the appeal. How long were you away?”

She thought for a moment, “Only a day or so I think. I dunno, we were underground and completely cut off. You lose track of time really quickly in a place like that. All I know is that I didn't really get to eat and... I didn't eat all that much when it was just the two of us in the TARDIS before then.”

“Well, there's plenty to go around. And there will be cake later when they get back. Hang on, did you say seven weeks?”

“Yep, afraid so. Far too much adventure for me at the moment. I'm quite happy sticking around here and letting them enjoy themselves.” She replied. “Though would they kill me if I went and took a nap? I'm exhausted, he's only just picked me up.”

“Guest bedroom's upstairs and to the right.” Brian answered with a smile, “I'm sure they won't mind you getting a couple of hours kip while they're gone. And I'll come wake you when they get back.”

“Oh you are a life saver.” Hanna replied, stuffing the last of her burger into her mouth and chewing enthusiastically. She swallowed a couple of times before stretching her shoulders out, “I'm going to go get a drink and then go up. See ya later.” She turned and went inside, grabbing a small bottle of cherryade off the drinks table before making her way upstairs to the guest bedroom. She sat down on the bed and closed her eyes, eating her food and sipping her drink as she mentally went through the last couple of days before curling up in a tight ball under the blankets and going to sleep.

“Hanna?”

The voice roused Hanna from her sleep and she grumbled, pulling the duvet tighter around herself but reluctantly opening one eye. “What?” She mumbled.

“The others are back. It's been about an hour.” Brian replied.

Hanna sighed, “Fine... I'll be down in a minute... just need to, you know... wake up.” She smiled sleepily and rubbed her eyes as she sat up. “Go talk to the Doctor... I'll be downstairs in a couple of minutes.” She watched sleepily as he nodded slightly and smiled, leaving the room and closing the door. Once he was gone she slumped back and looked up at the ceiling, “Almost over... a month of sitting in the TARDIS sleeping, reading and watching films then this is over and we can go... and you know you can't tell him...” she murmured to herself as she stretched, “I'll come back afterwards though. After he's got the letter I'll come and talk to him. Explain it. Even if he hates me for it.” She nodded decisively before getting up, yawning widely and running a hand through her hair to try to neaten it slightly before going downstairs, following the sound of talking until she reached everyone else.

“-To the other people who travel with you?”

Hanna glanced over at the Doctor and Brian as she entered the room, catching the tail end of Brian's question and quickly sidling away. She didn't want to get involved with it in case she ended up giving away something she shouldn't. Instead she pulled out her camera and took a couple of random pictures, blocking out as much of what was going on around her as she plucked a sandwich off a plate and nibbled on it.

“-Not them, Brian. Never them.”

Hanna sighed as she heard what the Doctor said, “You can't just say that...” she said to herself, not realising she was close enough for them to hear her.

“What do you mean?” The Doctor asked her.

She glanced at them, sighing again and going over to stand with them, “You can't say that it won't be them who die. It's... Life with you is dangerous, we all know it. They've almost died before. Plus this is Rory we're talking about, dying and coming back is pretty much his MO.” She looked at Brian, “Time paradoxes are wonderful things. Sometimes. But anyway, you can't predict the future. You can't say they'll come back.” Her eyes were sad and she quickly looked away, sniffing, “Just... All we can do is try to keep them safe.” She forced herself to look up at Brian, “But there are some things that even I can't change.”

“Are you trying to tell me that they are going to die?” Brian asked quietly.

She swallowed and hesitated before eventually replying, “Everyone dies. With them it's... complicated.” She was about to say more when she accidentally interrupted herself with a soft yawn. “Sorry...”

“Why don't you go back to the TARDIS?” The Doctor suggested, “Get a bit of kip. I'm going to be sticking around for a while.”

Hanna smiled and nodded, “Okay.” She waved slightly in the direction of Amy and Rory before turning away and going inside the familiar blue box.

“So what's going to happen?” Brian asked the Doctor once she'd gone.

“I don't know.” He replied, “I quite like not knowing. Hanna's the only person who does know and it's a terrible burden to bear. I see her struggling with it but I can't do anything to change it. She wouldn't be her. She does and says what she can't but knowledge of what will happen in the future can be what causes it in the first place. The destiny trap. You can't change the future if you're already part of it. So if there's anything to do with time paradoxes involved it's not going to be something easily fixed...” he seemed to be talking to himself more than anything now. “But anyway. We're not going anywhere until this business with the cubes is sorted out. Speaking of which...” he saw Amy standing slightly apart from the others and went to join her, leaving Brian alone to mull over the conversation that had just happened.

 

Hanna was sitting in a chair in the Pond's living room, her nose buried in a book. She'd left the TARDIS in order to 'interact' more with the group but really she was perfectly content just reading.

Amy stood up from where she was on the sofa beside Rory and went over to Brian, whispering something in his ear.

“Eh?” He looked up at her in confusion.

“Just say it.” Amy smiled at him before looking up at Hanna.

“Uh, Hanna.” Brian smiled at her pleasantly, “Apparently I have to ask you this. But what exactly is the function of a rubber duck?”

Hanna stared at him for a moment before looking up at Amy, “Oh that's just mean! Not fair at all! Mean and rude and mean! I just... gah!” She ran her hands through her hair, “He's just the perfect Mr Weasley! I'm sorry but he is! Just... mean!! Not you, Brian.” She added.

“Oh lighten up Hanna, it's just a bit of fun.” Amy put a hand on one hip.

“To you! To me it's the great seriousness of fandoms! And Arthur Weasley is the most awesome of all of them apart from Bill. Bill is badass. I just can't imagine anyone apart from him...” she pointed at Brian. “You know what, screw it! Let's watch them! Now! Full marathon of all of this universe's versions of the films! And then next week we can watch my version! Because this isn't fair. I can't judge unless I've seen both versions. Therefore because of you we have to watch all the films twice.” She grinned as Amy groaned. “And just remember, you brought this upon yourself.”

“Yeah, yeah I know.” Amy sighed.

“I'm sorry, what just happened?” Rory looked between the two girls.

“I think...” Brian looked at his son, “that Amy and Hanna have volunteered us to join them on a 16 film Harry Potter marathon.”

“Great!” Rory pulled a face before pulling himself to his feet, “I'll put the kettle on then.”

“I'll have hot chocolate!” Hanna grinned at him as he just nodded wearily and disappeared into the kitchen. “Come on then, where are the DVDs?” She looked around at the others.

“I'll fetch them.” Amy volunteered, crouching by the TV and getting out the box set. She turned the TV on and slotted the first film into the DVD player.

Half an hour later, they were ready to start, Rory, Amy and Brian on the sofa; The Doctor in an armchair and Hanna sitting on a couple of cushions on the floor. She'd also managed to acquire the remote and was in control. She settled back and hit play, watching the familiar opening scene in Privet Drive.

Philosopher's Stone passed uneventfully, everyone and everything where it should be.

Chamber of Secrets also passed reasonably uneventfully, though Hanna did pause it a few times to tell him where the Mr Weasley in her universe had said or done something slightly differently.

Hanna smiled as they slotted Prisoner of Azkaban into the DVD player, Rory going out into the kitchen to make more tea and put the oven on for dinner while the film changeover was taking place. Once they were settled once more, Hanna pressed play. Everything happened pretty much as – in her opinion – it should have done until they reached the Leaky Cauldron. The wrong Mr Weasley took Harry to one side and told him that the dangerous prisoner _Remus Lupin_ had escaped from Azkaban and was after him.

“Whoa!” Hanna shouted, “No, hold the phone! No way!” She hit pause and turned to face the others, “No bloody way!!”

“Well, yeah.” Amy said to her, frowned slightly, “Didn't you know that? I thought you said you were a fan.”

“I am! And that-” she pointed at the TV behind her, “Doesn't happen! Not in my universe!”

“Then what does?” Rory asked her.

“Sirius Black.” She said simply, “Sirius Black escapes from Azkaban.”

“But Sirius is the Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher. Why would he be in Azkaban?” Amy replied, her amusement clear in her voice.

Hanna whined, struggling slightly to come to terms with the differences in the two films. “Because... Because they think he killed Pettigrew! And all those other people. And betrayed Lily and James! And _Lupin_ is supposed to be the Defence Against Dark Arts teacher!”

“No... Lupin betrayed them and Sirius is the teacher.”

“But... that's just wrong!” Hanna protested.

“Why don't we just go back to watching it?” Rory suggested, “I'm sure it'll work itself out.”

Hanna grumbled for a moment before sighing, “Fine.” She turned back to the TV and hit play again. She spent the rest of the film watching quietly, apart from when something was majorly different. That is, until they reached the point where in her version – the real version – Sirius was supposed to accidentally hurt Ron in an attempt to get to Scabbers. What she saw however, was a tall man with long matted hair and a crazed look in his eye appear from pretty much nowhere and throw himself on Ron. The ginger teen struggled and was clearly hurt by the time he was dragged between the roots of the Whomping Willow.

Hanna burst out laughing at the scene, unable to take it seriously, “That is the worst piece of arse I've ever seen!” She giggled, “Just... what the hell?!”

“What do you mean?” Amy asked her.

“I mean, it just looks ridiculous! Lupin's nice and cool and awesome and him leaping out of nowhere and jumping on Ron looks weird and mildly rape-y. Very un-Lupin-like.”

“Well then how is it supposed to go?”

Hanna sighed, looking back at the screen as Harry and Hermione made their way through the passage and into the Shrieking Shack, “You'll have to wait until we reach this point in my DVD set. Because... I feel like not telling you. Even if this is so blatantly wrong!”

The next six films passed in very much the same way over the course of the next couple of days. Hanna watching quietly for the most part and then pausing it to rant or ramble about how it wasn't done like that in her universe and then refusing to tell them what did happen. Her reasoning being that they should see it for themselves like she had seen this world's version and that otherwise it would end up with them having it spoilt and then they wouldn't enjoy it as much or sit through it with her right to the end.

With the end in sight, Hanna paused the film for the last time. They were halfway through the Battle of Hogwarts and she turned to face the others, pointing back at the screen with tears in her eyes. Her expression was a mixture of pained sadness tinged with mild delight, “Please... please tell me that didn't actually happen.”

“Which bit?” Amy and Rory exchanged a mildly confused glance. A lot had happened over the last couple of minutes.

“Do not tell me that they killed Ron. Who does Hermione end up with?!” Hanna's eyes were wide and sad. She was still pointing at the screen.

“Yeah...? I presume that doesn't happen in your version either? And in your own words, maybe you should wait and find out.” Amy replied, “We're almost at the end anyway.”

Hanna sniffed and grumbled, turning back to the film and wiping her eyes on her sleeve as she pressed play. Watching silently as the end of the film unfolded, minus Ron but plus his brother Fred.

The film now over, Hanna turned to the others, “Well that was cool. And heartbreaking. And wrong.”

“It's right to us.” Rory pointed out, getting to his feet and stretching.

“Yeah but... not to me!” She sighed, “Well, we'll have to watch my version soon. Very soon.”

“Give us a couple of days, yeah?” Amy suggested, “Let us have a bit of time to recover from watching all eight films before we see them again.”

Hanna grumbled goodnaturedly before nodding, “Yeah, sure. I'm going for a walk. See you later.” She grinned at them before heading for the door, pulling on her boots and jacket that had been left there since it had last been her turn to go out and buy milk. She left the house quickly and started to walk, not really caring where she was going and wanting to mull over the events of the films.

 

A couple of days later, Hanna bounced out of the TARDIS and into the Pond's living room, a DVD carry case clasped in her left hand, “My turn!” She announced, sitting on the floor with her legs crossed as she flicked through the case to find the films she wanted, her tongue poking out of the corner of her mouth slightly as she did so.

Amy and Rory exchanged a glance before moving over to join her, “So to get this straight...” Amy said as they sat on the sofa, “This is the same eight films with slightly different casting?”

“And a considerable amount of differing plot. Mainly the whole Marauders thread is completely different but there's also stuff that's changed elsewhere. Battle of Hogwarts and such. You'll have to watch it to see properly though.”

“Worth a try.” Rory stretched back, “The Doctor's in the garden and Dad's somewhere watching his cube. Want me to fetch them?”

“If you would.” Hanna looked over at him and grinned before getting the DVD out of the case and putting it into the player. And if Brian's worried about his cube he can always record it. It'll be perfectly fine for the next couple of days.”

So that was how the group of them found themselves spending the next few days as they had done a few days before, making their way through eight Harry Potter movies. Only this time it was Hanna who knew what was going on and the turn of the others to point out that things were different or wrong.

“Right!” Hanna announced as she put this disc for the last film carefully back into its case, two days after they had started the second leg of their marathon, “I'm going to go back and spend my time in the library until all this blows over. See ya!” And before anyone could say anything she had scooped up the case of DVDs and vanished back into the TARDIS.

“That girl...” the Doctor grumbled good-heartedly, “One of these days...” he smiled at the others, “I've got more painting to finish in the garden for one of the neighbours.” He got to his feet and waved slightly before leaving the room, leaving the Ponds alone in their living room.

Hanna padded quietly through the corridors of the TARDIS towards the console room. It had been a few weeks since they'd arrived back and she'd enjoyed the peace of being able to just sit around and do nothing except read for days on end. It had been a nice time to recharge her batteries.

“Doctor?” She called as she entered the console room. Though they were staying on Earth it wasn't uncommon to find him inside tinkering with something. Today though, the room was empty. She frowned slightly and called for him again before opening the TARDIS door and moving out into the Pond's living room. It too was empty. “Hello?” She called, hearing her voice echo slightly through the house though she got no reply. She called against and waited for a moment. Still nothing.

She sighed and turned around, stepping back into the TARDIS. As she did so a sudden pain flared in her chest. Like something or someone had reached inside her and was now squeezing her heart. She grunted in pain and sunk to her knees, "Fuck you, Cora..." She hissed between gritted teeth as she reached into her pocket for her phone. She dialled a number and waited impatiently for the person at the other end to answer, terrified and struggling to breathe properly.

"Amy...!" Hanna gasped as the woman answered the phone, "Amy I... I think I'm having a heart attack..."

"What? Hanna...!" There was a faint note of panic in Amy's voice, "Why didn't you call Rory? Or an ambulance?"

"It's the cubes. One third of the population is currently having a heart attack... emergency services are kind of busy right now..."

“Hanna...” Amy started to talk but Hanna cut across her.

"Just put me on to the Doctor. And yes, I know he's also have a heart attack. But he's got two of them, he'll be fine!"

Amy hesitated for a moment before passing the phone over to the Doctor.

“Yes?” He asked sharply.

“Doctor, the cubes...” Hanna groaned, “They took the power... sent it out as a pulse... one third of the population instantly went into cardiac arrest...” She swallowed, “Doctor, I'm scared...” Her voice trembled, “I... I didn't like this episode all that much... and I didn't think... I just...”

“It's okay, Hanna.” His voice was gentle and soothing, “I'll fix it. Like I always do. Where are you?”

“In... In the doorway to the TARDIS...” she murmured shakily, trying to disguise the fact she was crying, “I can't... I feel sick... like someone's squeezing my heart and won't let it go...”

“I know...” He sighed, “I know but it'll be okay.”

“Courage isn't just a matter of not being frightened... It's being afraid and doing what you have to do anyway...” she murmured, “You said that to someone once... Jo... maybe...” She swallowed, “Doctor, I'm really scared... but... I-I know you can fix it...”

“I will.”

“Then get off the phone and get on with it,” She laughed slightly, though there was a definite wheeze in her shaky voice, “And Doctor... if I...” She broke off with a cough, “If... If I... you know... then... find me. There's probably a Rosehanna MacKay lurking around here somewhere... take her with you... show her the stars...” She whispered though didn't hear if he replied. Her fingers hit the button to hang up as she lost consciousness, her eyes closing and tears staining her cheeks.

 

“Hanna? Hanna can you hear me? Hanna?”

The voice sounded like it was from far away but slowly the fog in Hanna's head cleared slightly and she groaned, shifting and opening her eyes. It took a while for her vision to clear and the world around her to stop spinning so much. Eventually the concerned faces of the Pond's, Brian and the Doctor swam into view.

“How are you feeling?” Rory asked, concerned.

“Like I've been dragged through a field of broken Daleks by my heartstrings...” She grumbled, looking around blearily. She was still on the floor in the Ponds' living room. Slowly she sat up and leaned against the TARDIS. “So things are sorted then?”

“Yeah, everything's fine.” Rory replied, crouching in front of her, “Right now though, I just want to make sure you're okay.”

“I'm fine...” She sighed.

“You had a heart attack.” He pointed out.

“Yep, gathered that. But I'm okay.” She smiled slightly.

Rory sighed slightly and glanced at the Doctor, “Yeah, okay. But seriously, are you feeling okay?”

She thought for a moment before nodding, “I think so. I mean weak. And like I've been dragged through a field of Daleks... but yeah... overall... honestly, surprised I survived it.”

“Why's that?” Rory frowned.

“Because I... might... have a sort of... maybe... pre-existing... slight... heart condition...” She smiled at him, “I mean it's nothing _major_ , just when I was born it was kind of screwed. But I've been fine for years. No problem. Everything awesome in Hanna land.”

“Why didn't you tell us?” Rory asked.

“Because it's really not a big deal. As I said, I've been fine for years. I guess it just meant that my heart is slightly weaker than most other people's and... well yeah, that meant the pulse sent out from the cubes gave me a heart attack. But I'm fine. I think the TARDIS must have protected me or something, I was in the doorway when it happened.” She ran a hand through her hair and smiled at them again, “I'd kill for something to eat though.”

“Hanna, you need to go to the hospital.” He told her, glancing at the other three for backup, “This isn't something to be taken lightly.”

“Nope, not happening. The emergency services must already be stretched to the limit.” She told them firmly, “I just need to rest for a while. I'll be fine.”

Rory sighed, “You still need to though. Look, I can do my best to rush you through. Quick check up and then back at home for some good old rest and recuperation.”

She hesitated, not wanting to but not seeing a scenario in which Rory wouldn't make her. “Fine. As long as I do get through quickly though. There are many people who belong in this universe that need the help a lot more than I do.”

“Let's not go into that again.” Rory sighed again, “You're important to us. And we'll get you sorted.”

She swallowed and glanced away, “Fine... okay...” she murmured, not protesting again. She just didn't have the energy.

“Are you sure you're okay?” Rory asked Hanna for what felt like the billionth time.

Hanna sighed and looked up at him, “I'm fine, Rory. Just stop fussing.” She was sitting on the Pond's sofa, a blanket around her shoulders and a bowl of cereal in her lap.

“You had a heart attack.” He pointed out.

“Really? I hadn't noticed.” she snapped, “It was like, almost a month ago. And you asked me if I was okay an hour ago. I'm just one of thousands. One of millions – billions! And I'm no more important than any of them.” She sighed, looking into the bowl and distractedly stirring the milk. She didn't want to let them know what she did about one particular person out of the millions who did die in this episode.

“Hanna...” the sofa dipped slightly as Rory sat down beside her, “What's wrong? I know there's something.”

“I'm fine.” She muttered, not looking up at him, “There's nothing wrong, why would there be?”

“You won't talk to anyone. You're really distant whenever we try to interact with you and you have been since-”

“Since I – as you constantly remind me – had a heart attack a couple of weeks ago. Trust me, I'll be happier as soon as I can get off this planet and be on the move again. Though only if you stay.”

“Hanna...” Rory started but she cut him off again.

“Just stop. If I had any way of changing the future then I would. But I don't have any choice. I have to let things happen as they do so that I don't completely screw up the time lines. But Rory... when the Doctor and I leave... what are you going to do?”

He sighed, “We're planning on staying here. Amy and I were talking about it and decided that we like our real lives. We've grown up. And it's time we started living our own lives here on Earth.”

Hanna smiled, “I'm glad. You two deserve some good and normal. You've got your house and car and everything... time for real life to get started. Maybe adopt a kid?”

He nodded, “That's certainly a possibility.”

She smiled wider, “The pair of you... you deserve a good life. And if I can I will help you to achieve that.”

He nodded, “Yeah... thanks. I've got work in just over an hour so I'll check on you when I get home.”

She rolled her eyes, “Well, if you must!” Then her voice softened, “Thanks, Rory.”

He smiled and got to his feet, “See you later.” He said before leaving the room, leaving her alone to finish her cereal and go back to the film she had been watching.

It was a couple of weeks later that Rory finally said that Hanna was well enough to go back to travelling in the TARDIS, much to her delight. She loved being on Earth but at the same time it was starting to get dull now that she'd had a proper taste of adventure. All five of them were sitting round the table having breakfast, Brian having come round the house early to join them.

“Right, excuse me but I think that we should get going,” The Doctor announced once they'd finished eating, “Only stuck around to let young Hanna get back up to full strength.” She got to his feet and clapped Hanna good-heartedly on the shoulder. “Thing to do. Worlds to save, swings to...” he waved his hands for a moment before finishing, “Well, swing on.”

Hanna smiled and got to her feet, “Yeah. It's been fun, dudes!”

The Doctor started to walk away before turning back, putting his arms around Amy and Rory's shoulders, “Look, I know you both have lives here. Beautiful, messy lives. That's what makes you so fabulously human.” He said to them while Hanna watched from the doorway, silently begging Brain to stay silent. “You don't want to give them up.” The Doctor continued.

“Actually...” Brian said, causing Hanna's heart to sink, “It's you they can't give up, Doctor. And I don't think they should. Go with him,” He urged them, “Go save every world you can find. Who else has that chance? Life will still be here.”

“You could come, Brian.” The Doctor suggested.

Hanna swallowed, she couldn't do nothing, “But they also have the chance to be human and normal... even though the universe is out there... if I had a home like this now, after all I've done and seen... I don't know if I'd want to give it up.” She watched as Amy and Rory exchanged a glance and a smile. She knew that their minds were made up and no amount of persuading on her part would change that.

Brian smiled at them, “Go. But I think I'll stay here. Somebody's got to water the plants.” His gaze grew serious as he looked at the Doctor and then at Hanna, “Just bring them back safe.”

Hanna turned away, heading back to the TARDIS and going inside. By the time the others had said their proper goodbyes to Brian and joined her inside the expansive time machine she had already vanished deep into the corridors, wanting to be alone with her thoughts. As happy as the Doctor was now to have his friends aboard one last time she knew that it wasn't going to last long. She knew that they would soon be forced to part and she didn't know if she could bear the heartbreak that he was going to have to go through. She lay on her bed, looking up at the ceiling as the TARDIS dematerialised, taking them on to their next destination and a new adventure.

 


	13. Angels Take Manhattan Part 1

“New York!” The Doctor shouted as he flung open the TARDIS doors to reveal bright sunshine. “New York and a picnic, can't get much better than this, can you?”

“Nope.” Amy grinned, taking Rory by the hand and dragging him out of the TARDIS.

Hanna rolled her eyes but grinned, glad for the chance to now relax. She had her iPod in her pocket and was looking forward to just lying back with her music on and a book in her hand. Her idea of bliss.

And that's what happened. They found a clear, sunny space and lay back in the grass, eating sandwiches and each of them reading their own books. Hanna put her music on loud enough that she couldn't hear the others talking. She didn't want to hear it, she just wanted to enjoy the moment. Being alone but with other people.

“You know, only you could fancy someone in a book.” Rory said, cutting through her thoughts during a lull in the music.

“I object to that!” She said, pulling out one ear bud, “I fancy loads of people in books. You're the weird one for not!” She nodded as if to prove her point and then put the ear bud back in, blocking them out again.

After a little while Rory tapped her on the shoulder, bringing her out of her thoughts again. She sighed and took out one of the ear buds, “Eh?”

“I said, did you want a coffee?” He repeated, “I'm going to get some.”

She thought for a moment, “Mocha, please. As big as you're willing to get me.” She grinned at him, “Thanks.”

He nodded, “Okay, I'll be back soon.”

She watched him go, putting her ear bud back in but turning the music down slightly. She went back to her book but was now vaguely aware of the Doctor and Amy talking to each other.

“As I crossed the street, I saw the thin guy.” The Doctor read out loud, causing Hanna to stop and look up. The Doctor didn't notice her and continued, “But he didn't see me. I guess that's how it began. I followed the skinny guy for two more blocks before he turned and I could ask exactly what he was doing here. He looked a little scared so I gave him my best smile and my bluest eyes.”

“Beware the yowzah!” Amy interrupted, “Do not, at this point, yowz.” The Doctor didn't seem to notice her talking, staring in shock at the page.

“Stop reading.” Hanna said, “Just... stop. Stop it!”

“Doctor?” Amy asked, “What did the skinny guy say?”

“He said, 'I just went to get coffees for the Doctor, Amy and Hanna.” The Doctor said quietly. “'Hello, River.'”

“Shit.” Hanna growled. “Fucking bloody shitting shitpants! Stupid Melody Malone!”

“What are you talking about, Hanna? What's going on?” Amy asked her.

“I know this story...” Hanna said quietly, “I know what happens here... and now that you're reading that book I can't change it.”

“Why does the book matter?”

“It always matters. The little things always matter, apart from the times when they don't. But that book is important and it matters and I can't do anything!” Hanna ran a hand through her hair, swearing to herself.

“Hanna, what is it?” The Doctor looked over at her in concern.

“The future. Knowing what's going to happen and being powerless to stop it. I... I can't help with this. I can't tell you anything. I despise myself because of it but I have told myself all along that when this episode happens I can't get too involved. This... this is going to change everything.” She looked up at them seriously, “Most importantly though... we need to find Rory. And we need to find him fast and... and yeah... paradoxes. Hundreds of fucking paradoxes so I can't do anything!” She got to her feet, “Let's just bloody get this over with! Before I do something amazingly stupid and probably end up killing us all!”

They abandoned their picnic where it was and started to head back to the TARDIS as quickly as they could. “What's River doing in a book? What's Rory doing in a book?” Amy asked as they crossed the road.

“He went to get coffee.” The Doctor answered, “Pay attention.”

“He went to get coffee and ended up in a book. How does that happen?” Amy pressed.

“I don't know.” The Doctor replied, “We're in New York!”

“Oh answer to everything!” Hanna growled in annoyance as they went into the TARDIS and the Doctor started to take off.

“Where did you get this book?” Amy asked.

“It was in my jacket,” He told her.

“How did it get there?”

“How does anything get there? I've given up asking. Date, date. Does she mention a date? When is this happening?” He clicked his fingers at her.

Hanna sat up on her usual railing and said nothing, keeping her gaze on her knees. She didn't want to be involved in this. But she had been mentioned. She didn't have a choice any more. She was as part of this story as the rest of them.

“Yes. Hang on.” Amy said, flicking through the pages, “Oo, April 3rd 1938.” She continued to read out snippets of the book. “'You didn't come here by TARDIS, obviously. You couldn't have.'”

“Couldn't have?” The Doctor moved over to read over Amy's shoulder, “What does she mean 'couldn't have'?”

“'Be impossible to land the TARDIS here. Too many time distortions. It'd be like trying to land a plane in a blizzard, even I couldn't do it.'”

“Even who couldn't do it?” The Doctor snapped.

“Don't you two fall out. She's only in a book.” Amy told him.

“Which you really shouldn't be reading.” Hanna muttered.

The Doctor chuckled, “1938. Easy one.” He pulled a lever and everything jolted, sparks erupting from the console.

“Oh yeah! Totally easy!” Hanna's disdain was apparent from her voice as she picked herself up from the floor. “Maybe for once you should listen to your wife!”

“Quiet, you!” The Doctor replied.

“What was that?” Amy asked.

“1938.” The Doctor told her, “We just bounced off it.”

The TARDIS landed and they stepped out. “It's the Angels.” Hanna told them as she brushed down her jacket, “The Weeping Angels. They're what sent Rory back.”

“That makes sense.” The Doctor said as they looked around the graveyard they had found themselves in.

“Makes what?” Amy asked.

“That's what Angels do, it's their preferred form of attack.” The Doctor explained as he grabbed a fire extinguisher from just inside the TARDIS door and fired it inside, “They zap you back in time, let you live to death.”

“Well, we've got a time machine. We can just go back and get him.” Amy pointed out.

“Not that easy.” Hanna said, “You saw what happened, we just bounced straight off 1938.”

“And we are back where we started in 2012.” The Doctor finished for her.

“We didn't start in a graveyard. What are we doing here?” Amy asked. She was still carrying the book open in her right hand.

“Don't know.” The Doctor replied, “Probably causally linked, somehow. Doesn't matter.” He kicked open the TARDIS door and shouted “Extractor fans on!”

“It matters a bit.” Hanna said, “Everything matters a bit.”

“Well we're going to get there somehow.” Amy said, flicking forwards, “We're in the rest of the book.”

“I'm what?” The Doctor asked, not hearing her.

“Stop reading!” Hanna snapped, “You can't read ahead. That book is your future and if you read ahead you make it a fact.” She ran a hand through her hair.

“But we've already been reading it.” Amy replied, confused.

The Doctor moved over to join them. “What?”

“We've already been reading the book. So why can't I keep reading it?” Amy repeated.

“We can only read what's happening in parallel to us.” Hanna told her, glancing at the Doctor.

“But it could help us find Rory.” Amy argued.

“And if you read ahead and find that Rory dies?” The Doctor said seriously. “This isn't any old future, Amy, it's ours. Once we know what's coming, it's fixed.”

“Does that include me?” Hanna asked softly. “I know your future. Does that mean it's now fixed as that?”

“It's not your future,” The Doctor turned to her, “You know how things would turn out if you weren't here, now that you are, things are in flux again, shifting to accommodate your existence. So, no. Your knowledge shouldn't make any difference to what things should or shouldn't happen to us.”

She smiled slightly, relieved by this answer. That was a question that had been bothering her from day one but she hadn't wanted to ask before.

“But time can be rewritten.” Amy said to them.

“Not once you've read it.” The Doctor answered gravely. They started to move quickly back to the TARDIS and he added, “Once we know what's coming, it's written in stone.”

They pushed the door to the TARDIS open and went inside, the Doctor immediately starting to fire up the engines again. “Okay. He said, getting up onto the console to turn a wheel, “Landing a plane in a timey-wimey blizzard. I could push though, but if I'm out by a nanosecond, the engines will phase and I'll shatter the planet.”

“Well that's encouraging,” Hanna dead-panned, “Way to fill us with confidence, particularly knowing your amazing skills.”

“Yes, thank you for your input.” He replied, “I need landing lights.”

“Landing lights?” Amy looked up at him.

“Yes. I need a signal to lock on to.” He told her.

“Early Chin Dynasty.” Hanna said, “And crack on a bit with it!”

Amy went back to reading out the parts of the book that were relevant to what they were doing.

Once the TARDIS materialised, the Doctor led them out. “Hello!” He exclaimed, “Oh. Yes...” He showed the man closest to them his psychic paper, “Special permission from the emperor.”

“This is so cool,” Hanna whispered to Amy, taking in their surroundings.

The Doctor ignored them, going to great lengths to describe what he wanted.

“So... what's he doing?” Amy asked Hanna.

“You've got the book.” Hanna replied softly, “Though basically, he's using a mix of time travel and a vague idea of what is currently going on in 1938 to compliment his wife's breasts.” She grinned at Amy, “'Yowzah.'”

“Okay, not sure I did really want to know. You do know River's my daughter, right?”

“Of course.” Hanna shrugged, “But she's also the Doctor's wife. And she does have rather magnificent breasts...”

She grinned at Amy as the Doctor came back over to them, “Right. Off we go!” he exclaimed, dragging them back into the TARDIS. “What were you talking about?”

“Your wife's cleavage.” Hanna replied without missing a beat.

“Oh...” He looked affronted and seemed about to say something else when the scanner beeped and a message appeared. 'Yowzah.' and underneath it, 'signal located.' “Landing lights!” The Doctor said, immediately starting to move around the TARDIS, setting them in flight. “We have a signal. Locking on.” The TARDIS jolted to one side.

“You can never lock on smoothly, can you?” Hanna half shouted over the noise, “Or quietly!”

“Wouldn't be as fun otherwise!” The Doctor replied with a grin. He gripped Amy's hand to stop her from falling.

“Oh, thanks!” Hanna exclaimed as the TARDIS landed and she picked herself up from the floor, “It's never me who gets stopped from falling, is it? I'm starting to think I need a proper man in my life. Or woman. I'm flexible.” She shrugged and grinned at the Doctor.

“Come on,” Amy interrupted, going over to the door.

“Just a moment. Final checks.” The Doctor replied.

“Since when?” Amy frowned.

“We are going to see his wife,” Hanna pointed out. “He's got to check his breath and smooth out his imaginary eyebrows.”

“Hey, less of that!” The Doctor replied, though that was exactly what he had been doing.

Once he was done, they left the TARDIS. Amy ran a little way up the stairs and peered onto the landing while Hanna and the Doctor looked around. Hanna caught sights of a smashed vase, not far from where they had parked. “Oh Doctor!” She exclaimed, “You broke it!”

“What?” He turned to her before his gaze found the vase on the floor, “Yes. So?”

“Amy read you were going to break something I just stopped her from telling it to you. It was never specified what...” Hanna sighed, “Just... don't be angry...”

“Why would I be angry?” The Doctor started to move around, exploring the room. He glanced through a door and caught sight of River, “Sorry I'm late, honey.” He said with a smile, “Traffic was hell.” He crouched down to examine the prone form of the man whose house they had landed in, “Shock...” he said before standing up again, “He'll be fine.”

“Not if I can get loose.” River replied.

The Doctor smoothed back his hair and stepped forwards, only now seeing the Angel that was holding tightly to River's wrist. “Ah... so where are you now, Dr Song? How's prison?”

“Oh I was pardoned ages ago. And it's Professor Song to you.” River replied off-handedly.

“Pardoned?” The Doctor said softly.

“Mmm, turns out the person I killed never existed in the first place. Apparently there's no record of him. It's almost as if someone's gone around deleting himself from every database in the universe.” She replied pointedly.

“Mmm, you said I'd got too big.”

“And now, no one's ever heard of you. Didn't you used to _be_ somebody?”

“Well aren't you the woman who killed the Doctor?” he got out his sonic and pointed it at the Angel's hand.

“This is all fun and everything but we do have places to go. People to see. Rorys to rescue.” Hanna put in from the doorway.

“And who's this?” River asked, “You never told me about any new companions.”

The Doctor looked between them, “River, this is Hanna. She's complicated. Hanna, you already know who River is, I presume?”

“Yup,” Hanna replied, “Good to meet you, Melody Pond.”

“Oh it's been a long time since someone called me that.” River replied, “So who are you then? Really?”

“Oh, I just travel with the Doctor. Though I presume you mean where do I come from and the answer to that is, I am from a parallel universe of Earth where this is a television program that was broadcast...” She paused to think about it, “Two years ago? No. Yes. Two. This was late 2012 and I'm from late 2014. So two.” She smiled at her before nodding towards the Angel, “She's holding on to you then?”

“Yeah, I'm just glad she didn't send me back in time.” River replied.

“I doubt she's strong enough...” The Doctor mused out loud.

“Well, I need a hand back. So which is it going to be?” River looked at him. Are you going to break my wrist or her's?” At the Doctor's look she frowned, “Oh no? Really? Why'd you have to break mine?”

“You don't.” Hanna told them. “You don't have to break River's.” She glanced over her shoulder at Amy who had joined them, “No one here knows what's going to happen next.”

“What do you mean?” River asked.

“There's a book.” Hanna clarified, “A detective story about Melody Malone who investigates the Weeping Angels. Amy started to read out a passage in which the Doctor broke something but I stopped her before she could say what. So we don't know. It's in flux. That's right, isn't it? I'm here so everything is now in flux until we live it?”

“It's your book.” The Doctor elaborated. “Which you haven't written yet and so we cannot read.” The Doctor pulled it out of his pocket to show her.

“I see,” River replied, “I don't like the cover much.”

“But if River's going to write that book, she'd make it useful, yeah?” Amy pointed out.

“Well I'll certainly try.” River told them, “But we can't read ahead, it's too dangerous.”

“Well, duh!” Hanna said, “So we need to stick with what we know. Only read the pages that happen before the point we're at now.”

“There must be something we can look at,” Amy added.

“What, a page of handy hints, previews, spoiler-free?” The Doctor asked from the table by the window.

Amy thought for a moment, “Chapter titles.”

“Now you've got it!” Hanna grinned, “Oh I thought you'd never get there!” She grinned at them, “A nice page of chapter titles.”

The Doctor opened the book to the contents page and looked down the list. A moment later he looked up, “He's in the cellar.”

“Give me.” Amy said, holding out her hand. The Doctor stood up and tossed the sonic over to her before kissing River on the cheek. He ran for the door and then stopped, still looking at the page of chapter titles.

“Doctor?” River asked. “Doctor what is it? What's wrong? Tell me?” The Doctor was visibly starting to seethe with anger he couldn't release, twisting the book in his hands. Wanting to hit something but not knowing what. “Calm down! Talk to me!” River pressed.

“No!” The Doctor shouted before stalking over to her, “Get your wrist out. You get your wrist out without breaking it.” He rounded on Hanna, “And you! You are going to tell us everything you can. Change the future!” He stormed away.

River looked over at Hanna, “Are you okay? What's going on?”

“I-I should... should go... follow him...” Hanna replied shakily. She hadn't been on the receiving end of the Doctor's temper before. “The last chapter... Amy... Amelia's Last Farewell... I should go...!” She bolted from the room before River could say any more. She leaned against the wall at the top of the stairs to the cellar, wanting to calm herself down before anyone else saw her. “You're fine...” she mumbled, “You're Rosehanna MacKay and you're fine. You thought this might happen. You wanted to tell them. You wanted to be able to change the future. But sometimes things have to continue on and there's not a damn thing you can do about it...” she wiped her eyes.

A moment later the Doctor and Amy came up the stairs backwards, closing the door behind them. “Are you okay?” Amy asked, to which Hanna just nodded distractedly. The group of them went back to the stairs where they had landed the TARDIS. Amy slumped down onto one of the lower steps and Hanna joined her. “So, is this just what's going to happen?” Amy asked the Doctor, who had started pacing, “We just keep chasing him back in time and they keep pulling him further back?”

“He isn't back in time,” River interrupted them. “I'm reading a displacement but there are no temporal markers. He's been moved in space but not in time and it's not that far from here, by the look of it.” She looked from her scanner to the Doctor and smiled.

He smiled back, “You got out.”

“So, where is he?” Amy pressed.

“Why don't we ask Hanna?” The Doctor said, “Hanna knows. Hanna always knows.”

Hanna hesitated as everyone turned to look at her, “I...” She swallowed, thinking over what the Doctor had said about her being here meaning everything was in flux, “Winter Quay. He's at Winter Quay. It's a building that's run by the Angels...”

“Run by the Angels?” Amy repeated, “What do you mean 'run by the Angels?'”

“It doesn't matter!” Hanna snapped, “It just is! It's a couple of blocks from here!”

“There's a car outside.” River said, “Shall we steal it?”

“Show me!” The Doctor grinned, grabbing River by the hand and starting to pull her away, freezing where he stood when the woman gasped in pain. He turned to look at her, only now seeing the blood that had trickled down her hand. The Doctor took the scanner from River and handed it silently to Hanna before going over and sitting on the stairs. A moment later, River joined him. “Why did you lie to me?” He asked softly, not looking at her.

River looked at him, “When one's on love with an ageless God who insists on the face of a 12 year old, one does one's best to hide the damage.”

The Doctor said nothing for a moment before gently lifting River's injured hand, “It must hurt.” He said softly, “Come here.”

“Yes...” River replied before adding, “The wrist is pretty bad too.”

Hanna paced impatiently as the Doctor – despite River's attempts to tell him not to – used glowing orange regeneration energy to repair her broken wrist.

“How's that?” The Doctor asked her softly.

“Well. Let's see shall we?” River replied, flexing her fingers before slapping him. “That was a stupid waste of regeneration energy. Nothing is gained by you being a sentimental idiot!”

“Can we go now?!” Hanna interrupted, “It's all well and good you two having a domestic but quite frankly, we have better things to be getting on with. Like finding Rory!”

“Tell you what?” Amy said to the Doctor as River left the room, “Stick to the science part.” With that she was gone, following her daughter out of the house.

“She's got a point.” Hanna said fairly, pushing the scanner device into the Doctor's hands, “You've never exactly been great at the romance stuff. Then again, that's what being a Time Lord who bounces around space and time without making all that many personal ties will do to you. Just for once though, I wish you would think before doing something like that. Come on.” She turned and left the same way River and Amy had, going out of the front door and down the steps to the car that was waiting patiently outside. “You two okay?” She asked softly.

“Yeah.” Amy looked up at her and gave her a smile that didn't seem quite genuine.

“His hearts are in the right place,” Hanna murmured, glancing back at the building, “Even if he is a bit rubbish.”

“Oh, you can say that again.” Amy replied.

Before anyone could say anything else the Doctor bounded out of the building and down the steps, “Winter Quay, let's go! The car!” With that they all ran over to the car, River in the driving seat with the Doctor beside her and, Amy and Hanna in the back.

 


End file.
